At approximately 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, one-time Warwick Public School Athletic Director Emo DiNitto sent a congratulatory message to his friend Dante Scarnecchia, offensive line and assistant head coach of the Super Bowl Champion
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At approximately 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, one-time Warwick Public School Athletic Director Emo DiNitto sent a congratulatory message to his friend Dante Scarnecchia, offensive line and assistant head coach of the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.
“Hi coach; congratulations on an incredible win,” DiNitto, who coached football at Toll Gate and Bishop Hendricken and played at Boston University, began his message. “The offensive line was superb. I enjoyed hearing the commentators keep mentioning the time Tom Brady had to throw.”
DiNitto, who in his retirement heads the highly-successful Rhode Island Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, continued: “You made the difference. What change from last year. Enjoy the accolades, you deserve it. Maybe we’ll see you this summer.”
Few people, if any, would dispute DiNitto’s theory about the Scarnecchia-coached offensive line.
Back on Jan. 19, for example, Sports Illustrated published a story declaring that Scarnecchia has been a huge help for the Patriots since his return this season.
The magazine also stated “the Patriots offensive line was an embarrassment in the 2016 AFC final vs. Denver.”
Perhaps Steven Ruiz, a national football beat writer, wrote it best on Jan. 31 of this year, noting: “The Patriots’ MVP is a 68-year-old coach whom Bill Belichick coaxed out of retirement.”
With the exception of coaching with the Indianapolis Colts, Scarnecchia has been the longtime Patriots’ offensive line coach. Even in retirement, Belichick asked him to evaluate the offensive line.
The proof was in Brady’s stats Sunday, as the now four-time Super Bowl MVP completed a record 43 passes for 466 yards against what SI called “a Falcons defense that disappeared in the second half like Tom Brady’s jersey.”
Scarnecchia, as he has done throughout his long-standing NFL coaching career, simply told DiNitto: “Thanks Emo. The games are great, but they’re never easy. Stay in touch, Dante!”
DiNitto, who lives in West Greenwich with his wife Nan, has enjoyed a friendship with Scarnecchia, who even played in the RI Chapter Football Foundation’s annual golf tournament a few years ago.
“We’re hoping to have him back this summer,” DiNitto went on. “Dante is a great man who is – and has always been – highly-respected on and off the football field.”
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