Team Spirit

(Photograph: John Smillie for the University of Rochester)

Several members of past Yellowjacket football teams gathered at the Brian F. Prince Athletic Complex during Meliora Weekend last fall to mark the dedication of the Stark Meeting Room in Fauver Stadium in honor of late coach Pat Stark.

A Rochester and a Syracuse Hall of Famer, Coach Stark is credited with elevating the stature of the Yellowjacket football program during his coaching tenure at Rochester from 1969 to 1983, including a No. 1 Division III ranking in the East.

Stark died in 2020. About three dozen of the team members gathered after the ceremony for the annual “Dinner in Honor of the Coach” in East Rochester.

Among those who returned to celebrate Stark’s life and legacy were Don Barber ’79, Erick Bond ’77, Quentin Call ’76, Erv Chambliss ’76, Len Champion ’73, Phil Chrys ’75, Dave Cidale ’71, John Cogar ’71, Jim Dunnigan ’73, Ed Elze ’76, Leo Fusilli ’80, Mike Garritano ’76, Ralph Gebhardt ’76, Sam Guerrieri ’87, Bill Hammond ’73, Ron Haines ’72, Ed Heffernan ’76, Pete Havey ’79, Jon Hunter ’72, ’88W (EdD), Jim Juraska ’73, Ray Kampff ’74, Rich King ’78, Mark Kirsch ’80, John Kowba ’79, Rocky Lamuro ’78, Paul Macielak ’72, Rick Magere ’72, Kevin Maier ’78, Jim Mazur ’78, Mark McAnaney ’75, Dave McNelis ’74, Brian Miga ’71, John Minora ’81, Tom Murray ’82, Herm Neid ’76, Joe Novek ’73, Chris O’Connor ’79, Brian Pasley ’76, Bob Quirk ’72, Dick Rasmussen ’72, ’97W (EdD), Mike Recny ’79, Sam Shatkin ’79, Steve Sloan ’78, Tyrone Southerland ’84, Ron Spadafora ’77, Lou Spiotti (assistant coach from 1971 to 1973), Rick Stark ’79, Roger Watts ’72, and Jim Wesp ’74, ’76M (MS), ’78S (MBA).