In a fitting tribute to a man who has meant so much to so many Notre Dame students and athletes over the years, a surprise, yet appropriate, announcement was made by incoming Notre Dame Athletic Director Jason Shea at the conclusion of the retirement ceremony for outgoing Athletic Director Tom Marcucci ‘on June 13.
After Coach Marcucci addressed the crowd of over 400 that were sitting on Joe Tonelli Court in Alumni Hall, Shea stepped back to the podium and announced that Notre Dame’s side athletic field, where Coach Marcucci spent the majority of his career coaching the football and baseball teams, from this day forward will be known as “Coach Tom Marcucci ‘66 Field”.
“Coach Tom Marcucci ‘66 Field” is now part of the Fogler Family Athletic Complex that was dedicated in May of 2016. The complex includes the renovated track and front field lined for football as well as the aptly named “Coach Tom Marcucci ‘66 Field” where the football, soccer, baseball, and lacrosse teams practice each fall and spring.
This plaque will be placed at the main entrance to the field where each team enters for practice each day.
The plaque reads:
Coach Tom Marcucci ‘66 Field
Thomas A. Marcucci ‘66
Teacher, Coach, Administrator, FrieND
Baseball 1973–1994, Football 1982–1998, 2009–2016
Athletic Director 2006–2018
“Over 48 years, Coach Tom Marcucci ‘66 mentored countless Notre Dame students in the classroom, on the baseball diamond and the football field. As head coach, he led Notre Dame 739 times in both sports, winning 513 total games, and three state championships. Thank you Coach Marcucci for a life dedicated to Notre Dame. For your leadership by example thousands of Notre Dame Men owe you a debt of gratitude.”
If you count Marcucci’s four years as a student-athlete from 1962-1966, he has spent 52 years of his life at Notre Dame High School, serving as teacher, coach, administrator for the last 48 years.
Marcucci served two stints as the Green Knights head football coach and a 22-year run as head baseball coach. He amassed 513 combined wins and won state championships in both sports. All totaled, he was head coach for 739 Notre Dame games. His 1991 and 2009 football teams won Class L state titles and his 1985 baseball team won the first baseball state title in school history when they captured the 1985 Class LL crown.
Marcucci added, “I arrived at Notre Dame in 1962 when I was 14, and except for four years in college, I’ve been here ever since. It is truly a second home. I met Pat here, and my kids grew up thinking that all social events revolved around Notre Dame. The lasting memories will always revolve around people. I have worked with amazing people, and the young men I have taught and coached have added to my life and the life of my family in ways that are impossible to measure.”
You can watch Coach Marcucci’s remarks from the retirement celebration here by visiting the Notre Dame homepage on the NFHS Network or visiting http://bit.ly/ndwhggktomretirementceremony.
You can also watch the video tribute prepared for the ceremony by visiting the NDWHAthletics YouTube Channel.