Dear Parents, Alumni and Friends of St. Vincent de Paul High School,
St. Vincent de Paul High School has hired John Antonio as its Head Varsity Football Coach. He will work closely with Principal Patrick Daly and Director of Athletics, Stan Switala on all levels of the football and athletics program at the high school.
John Antonio will replace long-time coach Gary Galloway. Two weeks ago, after speaking with his family, Mr. Galloway informed Mr. Daly of his retirement. Mr. Galloway will step down from his role in football, in which he has served the school for 38 seasons. The entire St. Vincent’s school community is grateful for his decades of faithful dedication. Mr. Galloway’s overall record of 214-145-1 included guiding the varsity football team to twelve league championships. More impressively, the football program delivered four CIF-NCS Championships—1984, 1993, 2005 and 2008.
For five seasons (2011-2015), John Antonio was the Head Varsity Football Coach at Piner High School in Santa Rosa, California. He inherited a program that had not won more than two games in a year for over a decade and molded them into a perennial NCS qualifier starting in just his third season. Coach Antonio also had varsity football coaching assignments at Casa Grande High School, Richmond High School, Calistoga High School and his alma mater, St. Vincent de Paul High School. His football coaching career has come full circle. In 2005, he served as the Offensive Coordinator for the St. Vincent de Paul High School football team which won the North Coast Section Championship.
“This is going to be a first-class program with great coaching, good attitudes and fantastic kids. In our first year, we will make real progress toward our program objectives, enjoy success on the field and attract serious student-athletes,” Coach Antonio stated. “By the time our incoming freshman are graduating seniors, we will be known as one of the elite programs in the area. Once again, local athletes will aspire to play for St. Vincent’s. We will be recognized for our hard work on the field, competing for NCS titles every year and ultimately a state championship.”
“A common characteristic among successful Catholic high schools is the pairing of exceptional college preparatory academics with a strong sports program,” was emphasized by Principal Patrick Daly. The new school leadership has committed publicly to all school constituencies that “we will have very competitive men’s and women’s athletic programs. Our students will be well-prepared for college in the classroom and in intercollegiate sports programs.”
Coach Antonio is actively engaged in youth sports in the North Bay. He is the co-owner of Future Leaders of American Gridiron (“FLAG”). The organization is Northern California’s premier flag football league where more than1,000 boys and girls have the opportunity to enjoy competitive sports while learning the game of football. The organization currently serves children ages 5-12 in two leagues, Santa Rosa and Petaluma, and adding a third league this year in Napa. He will also continue in his role as the President of the Petaluma Panthers, which is one of the premier programs in the North Bay Youth Football Conference. Both organizations have earned well-deserved reputations for exceptional coaching, dedicated athletes and engaged parent communities.
Coach Antonio, in control of the staff hiring process, will bring a largely new coaching staff to the school’s football program. He anticipates adding eight experienced coaches to the staff, of which six will be new to the program. He added, “These coaches will be of good character, hard working and fully engaged on the campus. They will be squarely focused on setting high expectations, positively impacting our student-athletes while helping them be successful on the field and in their lives beyond high school.”
Coach Antonio expressed his thoughts on the desired outcomes for his student-athletes by stating, “We want our players to have a great high school experience, in the classroom and on the field. We want them to reach their full potential. Our job as coaches is to set realistic, personal goals for each athlete. For all of them, that will include attending a four year university and for some, the opportunity to play football at the next level.”
Coach Antonio noted that the quality of the academic institution played a significant role in the decision where he wanted to coach. He detailed, “As a smaller, college preparatory high school, St. Vincent’s offers its student athletes a supportive community, unique teacher engagement, a tradition of academic excellence and exceptional student life opportunities. And for good athletes, the opportunity to play three sports.”
The high school draws students from southern Sonoma County and Northern Marin representing 22 different partner schools. St. Vincent’s High School offers Advanced Placement classes in twelve areas and for the past 10 years, 95% of the graduating class attended college. In the 2008 WASC report, the school was described by the visiting team as the “Friendliest School in America.”
Consistent with a renewed commitment to 11-man football, St. Vincent’s football program will also move out of the North Central I league and become an independent football program for two years. The Director of Athletics, Stan Switala said, “This new phase for our football teams offer a unique opportunity for our school to enjoy games in closer proximity to Petaluma. After two years, we expect to be in a new league, playing teams in Southern Sonoma, Napa and/or Marin counties. We are confident that Coach Antonio will lead the resurgence of football at St. Vincent’s, an important piece of our strategy to build elite offerings across our athletic program.”
Coach Antonio continued, “What can parents’ of current and incoming students expect? They will be able to have a real relationship with me. They will know that I have the best interests of their student-athlete in mind and will strive to deliver a great experience for their entire family.” The new head coach added, “They will find me to be accessible and committed. I will invest a lot of time and effort into this program, our teams and their students.”
John Antonio is an alum of St. Vincent de Paul High School (Class of 1996). He attended Santa Rosa Junior College, the San Francisco Police Academy and currently serves as an officer in the Petaluma Police Department. While attending St. Vincent’s, he was multi-sport athlete and a three-time all-league football and baseball player.
John and his wife Kendra live in Petaluma, California. Kendra is an alumna of St. Isabella’s Elementary School and St. Vincent de Paul High School (Class of 1996). She is the Kindergarten teacher at Our Lady of Loretto in Novato, California where their son’s Andrew (age 11) and Connor (age 6) are students.
Sincerely,
Patrick W. Daly
Principal, St. Vincent de Paul High School
