Carl A. DePasqua

Former Pitt head football coach Carl A. DePasqua, 93, of Castle Shannon, formerly of Williamsport, Whitehall, and Greensburg, passed away on September 15. An outstanding athlete and coach, and wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Carl is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Katie, his children, Dana (Tony) Williott and John (Susan) DePasqua, his grandchildren, Carl (Paula) Williott, Alexandra (Dan) Torcasi, Gabrielle Williott, Alexis DePasqua, and Jake DePasqua, and his great-grandson, Wesley James Torcasi. Carl is also survived by many nieces and nephews, and his longtime friend and Pitt teammate, Lou "Bimbo" Cecconi. Carl starred in three sports at Williamsport High School, earning All-State honors in football and basketball, and being drafted by the Detroit Tigers for baseball. Following high school, Carl starred for the University of Pittsburgh football team as a single wing fullback and defensive back, holding the record for career interceptions until 1976. He was named MVP of the 1949 Blue-Gray Classic in Mobile, Alabama. Carl was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1950, but opted instead to serve his country as a medic in the United States Army during the Korean War, where he, of course, also played military football. After being honorably discharged, Carl joined the Pitt coaching staff in 1952-53. He then coached in Canada for several years before returning to Pittsburgh to join John Michelosen's Pitt staff from 1958-1965 as defensive coordinator. Carl took the head coaching position at Waynesburg College in 1966, leading his teams to a combined 19-1 record in his two seasons there. Waynesburg went undefeated and won the NAIA National Championship in Carl's first season, with an outstanding Band of Brothers who went on to do great things in life after football. Family lore has it that legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson asked Carl for his playbook after Waynesburg routed Wisconsin-Whitewater, 42 – 21, in the National Championship game. The national championship resulted in multiple awards for Carl, including NAIA Coach of the Year by the Rockne Club of America and the Washington, DC Touchdown Club National Small College Coach and Team of the year award presented to Carl by Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Carl's 1967 Waynesburg team was considered by many to be even better than the 1966 National Championship team, but their dream of back-to-back undefeated seasons and national championships dissolved in the mud in their final game against Fairmont State, a 7-6 loss that was the only loss of Carl's tenure at Waynesburg. Remarkably, three players from "little" Waynesburg College went on to play in the NFL, including Don Herrmann, who spent six years with the New York Giants. Carl's Waynesburg players remember his motto of Poise, Persistence, and Pride, and his affinity for little black stogies. After a year coaching defensive line on Bill Austin's Steelers staff, Carl became head coach of his beloved Pitt Panthers in 1969. Carl's Pitt teams will be remembered for their character and sportsmanship, their difficult schedules, their upset of #15 UCLA in the 1971 opener on the road, and most of all for their 5 – 1 start in 1970 that included a 36-35 comeback victory over West Virginia after trailing 35-8 at halftime, a game many Pitt fans still consider one of the greatest in Pitt's rich football history. After stepping down as coach at Pitt following the 1972 season, Carl served two years on the Pennsylvania Horseracing Commission. He then returned to Western Pennsylvania in 1975 to become the President and General Manager of the Latrobe Bulletin newspaper, where he remained until his retirement in 1999. Carl was inducted into the Waynesburg College Hall of Fame in 1972, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and again with his Waynesburg team in 2006, and the Italian-American Hall of Fame in 1994. Over the years, many of Carl's players have expressed how much he meant to them as a coach, mentor, motivator, and father figure. Those same qualities also made him a great husband, father, and grandfather. He was a man of tremendous integrity and honor, and he was the consummate gentleman. He was tough as nails but outwardly calm, composed, and compassionate. He often referred to his players as "velvet and steel," but those words also described him. Although many will remember Carl for his athletic achievements, his family will remember him for his warmth, humility, generosity, and gentle guiding hand. He was a caring, nurturing patriarch who was cherished by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandson. His children and grandchildren always tried to live by his advice to "always remember your name." Pop-Pop entertained his grandchildren with stories about "borrowing" Louisville Sluggers from a stalled railroad car with his friends as a child, and barhopping in Oakland with his teammates during his college days. For every birthday after his 60th, Pop-Pop would tell everyone he was (again) turning 60, including his 93rd birthday in October 2020. He loved all the family dogs, Baci, Bailey, Butters, Beanie, Bruce, and Bella, and they loved him. Although the kitchen was wife Katie's domain, Carl managed to carve out a niche with his legendary fried baloney sandwiches and perfect burgers on his old school Weber Kettle charcoal grill. Outside of family and football, Carl was an avid golfer, and was formerly a member of both South Hills Country Club and Latrobe Country Club. Friends welcome 2-4, 6-8pm WEDNESDAY, WILLIAM SLATER II FUNERAL SERVICE, (412-563-2800) 1650 Greentree Rd., Scott Twp., 15220. Mass of Christian Burial 10:00am THURSDAY, Resurrection Parish (St. Thomas More Catholic Church), 126 Fort Couch Road, across from South Hills Village Mall. Burial will be private by family only in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Bridgeville, PA. Due to the recent uptick in breakthrough COVID cases, family requests that masks be worn during visitation. www.slaterfuneral.com