MetroWest Daily News: On Campus - Casali and FSU a perfect match

By: Craig Gilvarg, Daily News Staff

It's not that Richard Casali didn't recognize what was about to happen. It's not that he didn't appreciate it, either.

But really, he's never quite been one to seek out attention.

Career win No. 100 came for the Framingham State women's volleyball coach without any excessive celebration. Why should 200 be any different?

"I've never looked for milestones for me," said Casali. "I just look at milestones for my players. What are they accomplishing? What are they getting done?"

He was well aware, when his team took the court against Suffolk on Oct. 9, that he had 199 career wins under his belt. But he chose not to bring it up to anyone. He didn't tell his players, not wanting their focus to stray from the task at hand.

They ended up finding out anyway, courtesy of assistant coach Chelle Manganello. And what they wanted to accomplish that night was a landmark victory for their coach.

"We knew for him it wasn't a big deal," said senior captain Courtney Wilbur. "But I think that it's a great accomplishment, obviously. I just think it proves how much he has built up this program the past few years."

And so the Rams made quick work of Suffolk, rolling to a 25-15, 25-10, 25-12 sweep. After the match, the achievement was brought to the attention of the crowd, which acknowledged Casali with a standing ovation. His wife Nina, as usual, was in the crowd to see it. Any other memories, coach?

"They showed up an hour and a half late because of traffic," said Casali. "Those are the weird things you remember about it, to tell you the truth. It's actually the same team I got my hundredth victory over. Isn't that weird?"

Casali might operate with habitual modesty, but it's clear this was no small accomplishment for an accomplished coach.

In 11 years at the helm of the Rams, Casali has led FSU to the playoffs in all but one season, a MASCAC title and the team's first trip to the NCAA tournament. Twice he's been named MASCAC Coach of the Year. He's the program's all-time winningest coach, and only the second FSU coach in any sport to reach 200 wins.

He'll even allow himself to acknowledge the significance of the moment, albeit with a caveat.

"It is a big deal," said Casali. "But let's face it. It's about the players. If I bring the right players in they'll get the wins for me. But it was nice, with the school there. It was special for me."

And anyway, he's never used wins and losses to gauge his success. He'll tell you he hardly remembers the victories, all 204 of them after Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Worcester State and WPI.

Instead, he rattles off stories, the teaching moments, the things that really stick with him. Three former players showing up to watch a game last week, for instance. Or another former player, the lone Ram in a family of three Bridgewater State alumni, proudly brandishing FSU attire at a meeting of the longtime rivals earlier this year. The long road trips, the late night team dinners on the road, all the things that happened between wins No. 1 and 200.

"Those are the things you remember," said Casali. "It's not the game so much, it's what the program meant to them."

There is likely no better example of this than his relationship with Manganello, who was a senior for the Rams in Casali's first season and joined his staff as an assistant coach a year later. She's been at his side for the last nine seasons.

"I love it," said Manganello. "I loved the game when I played and I love it as a coach. I love every aspect of it, and I think he made me love it more than I ever had before."

Casali's road to FSU was an unlikely one. He grew up in Framingham, went to Framingham South High School, and attended college at Framingham State. But he hardly touched a volleyball until he joined one of the school's intramural teams. He recalls taking a trip to play Westfield — the only school in the MASCAC with a varsity program at that point — in an exhibition as an eye-opener. The skill and efficiency displayed by the Owls sparked an interest that hasn't yielded since.

"I saw people jump serving," said Casali. "I had never seen that before. It was like, wow, this can be really fun, and it is. It's been really fun for a long time. We just saw they were so much better than us, and I've been working on it ever since then."

After college, Casali moved to Medway, where he's lived for the last 31 years. He started playing in different local men's leagues, and soon after picked up coaching. When an opportunity to join the staff at Dean College presented itself, he jumped at it.

Framingham State athletic director Tom Kelley had tried to lure Casali back to his alma mater for several years, without any luck. But when the Rams were in need of a head coach in 2003, he finally agreed to interview.

By the time Casali walked into Kelley's office, his decision was made.

"As soon as I walked on campus I knew if they offered it to me I was taking the job," said Casali.

The consistency he's brought to the program since was fanciful at that point. In the four seasons preceding Casali's arrival, the Rams had shuffled through four different coaches.

"When I showed up I was my seniors' fourth coach, which isn't a good thing," said Casali. "They were looking for stability. I was able to give it to them, and they gave it to me."

More than 200 wins later, it's been a match made in volleyball heaven. And it's not coming to an end anytime soon. Casali, who recently turned 60, says he'd like to coach for another decade, at least. If the Rams average 10 wins a year over that period, well, you do the math.

"Man, if I'm staying for another 10 years I better get to 300 wins," said Casali.

Just don't expect him to tell anyone if he does.