FOOTBALL: Joe Cattolico

This season, the Roseville Tigers hit the turf with a new coach. Former coach Larry Cunha was replaced after being put on administrative leave at the end of last school year. He coached 26 years for the Tigers.

Coach Joe Cattolico has taken his place. Cattolico has racked up a total of 20 years of coaching, beginning in his hometown, San Jose. Eight years later he made the move to Pleasant Grove High School and stayed there for nine years. When he transferred to Sheldon High School, his team went 27-9 over the three years he was there.

Cattolico has won a total of eight league championships in his coaching career. At Pleasant Grove, he won four league titles and a Sac-Jaquin Section Division I championship. His 2011 Pleasant Grove team was the last team to beat Folsom High School in a league contest.

Cattolico’s father, Butch Cattolico, coached a total of 41 years at Los Gatos high school, and was head coach for 26 of those years. His father will be joining him on the coaching staff for this season as an assistant coach.

Cattolico stepped down as the head coach at Sheldon High School, later deciding to move his family up to the Roseville area.

According to Cattolico, this decision was made because he thought Roseville would be the best place to raise his kids.

“We made a decision to move out here for really, our kids,” Cattolico said. “We thought moving out here would be a positive for them, and be something to help them grow and develop in a great environment.”

Last season, the Tigers had an overall record of 3-7. Cattolico has a goal to improve the on field performance, but most importantly to have a positive impact on his players.

“We do the best we can to raise young men of character who are going to go on and be successful as adults,” Cattolico said. “I feel super honored to be able to share the love of football with my family.”

Senior player Tomas Robles enjoys Cattolico’s coaching style and believes he is helping improve his level of play.

“Coach Cattolico, he’s a great guy, great coach. Knows a ton about football- very smart man,” Robles said. “He has changed everything on our offense, our defense, our everything. We are just stepping it up now . It’s a whole new game we are playing.”

Likewise senior linebacker Tyler Rohwer believes that Cattolico has been great for team morale.

“Everyone is more bought in this year, and wants to be better this year and be great,” Rohwer said. “He has made us confident enough that we are going to be great.”

According to Cattolico, constant improvement is a big part of his philosophy.

“We really rely on daily improvement… getting better as a football player and better in life as a person,” Cattolico said. “We feel that this philosophy can transfer over to their daily life and into their future as adults.”