muhlenberg college mourns
passing of frank marino

Frank Marino, one of the most prominent and beloved figures in Muhlenberg College athletic history, passed away today. He was 75.

The field at Muhlenberg’s Scotty Wood Stadium is named for Marino, who coached the Mule football, volleyball, men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse teams during a 29-year period from 1967 to 1995. A plaque commemorating the naming reads:

“This athletic field is named in honor of Frank Marino, a dedicated educator, coach and friend. Frank is one of the most beloved coaches in Muhlenberg’s history. Known to most simply as ‘Coach,’ he earned the respect, loyalty and admiration of hundreds of young men and women for whom he served as a role model, mentor and friend.”

Marino was head coach of the Muhlenberg football team from 1970 to 1980 and compiled a record of 54-40-6. The 54 wins stood as the most for any coach in the school’s football history, which dates back to 1900, until 2005.

Marino’s 1980 and 1973 teams posted the Mules’ best records, 8-1 and 7-1-1 respectively, in a span of almost 60 years, from 1948 to 2006. The 1973 squad distinguished itself by scoring a 21-19 win against national powerhouse Widener, which included three future National Football League players on its roster. In 1976, Marino was named coach of the year by the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC).

In 1988, Marino came out of coaching retirement to take the reins of the volleyball team. Despite knowing little about the sport at the start, he led the team to a 124-81 record in eight years. The 1992 team won the MAC Southeast championship and set a still-standing school record for most wins by a team in any sport (27).

Marino also was head men’s lacrosse coach from 1968 to 1977 and head women’s lacrosse coach in 1986.

A native of Staten Island, N.Y., and a 1958 graduate of Brockport State University, Marino served as a graduate assistant coach at Penn State University and came to Muhlenberg in 1967 following a three-year stint as head football coach at Morris Knolls (N.J.) High School.

Marino was involved in Muhlenberg’s fundraising efforts for much of his 43-year association with the College. He was inducted into the Muhlenberg College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

Click here or on the banner above for a brief slideshow of Coach Marino’s Muhlenberg career.
Click here for a website that has been set up for friends to write their memories of Coach Marino and send messages to the family.