Exuberant offensive line coach Dan Dorazio is hard at work preparing for his nineteenth CFL season and first back with the Lions following a one-year stopover in Saskatchewan.
Although the 64-year old admits he is scaling back on hours before camp, these days, he is in the office at 4:30am instead of the usual 2:30 which is the usual once the craziness begins. Dorazio is determined to get the Lions o-line back to elite form.
“It feels great to be back,” Dorazio said. “Being gone a year allowed for change and that’s always good. Coming back here is not the same and that’s a good thing. Change allows you to grow, allows you to expand and prove what you’re doing.”
Growing up in a blue collar Pittsburgh family, it seemed natural for Dorazio to pursue a lifetime in football, but as a youngster, there was plenty of interest in other sports. He idolized Roberto Clemente and the Pittsburgh Pirates team that knocked off Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees in an epic 1960 World Series.
“I was nine years old on the school bus with my transistor radio when Bill Mazeroski hit the walk off home run in game 7. All day games back then, and no TV’s in school,” he recalls fondly.
Dorazio’s journey from graduate assistant at Kent State in 1972 to north of the 49th parallel is interesting and somewhat remarkable. It all happened as a result of a random meeting in 1997 when Dorazio was at the NCAA coaches’ conference in Texas. He came across Tony Marciano, who at the time, was Wally Buono’s offensive line coach in Calgary. The rest as they say, is history.
“Tony asked me if I would ever be interested in coaching in Canada,” Dorazio recalls. “I had been in US College for a lot of years and was open to the idea of a change. One year later, Tony left to take a job on Jim Mora’s staff with the Indianapolis Colts.”
Dorazio took over for Marciano and helped the Stampeders win Grey Cups in 1998 and 2001. “When I went to Calgary, I had no idea about the rules,” Dorazio admits. “We were learning on the job when I got there, and it worked out. There was growing pains, but it was a great experience.”
Buono recalls their first interview in his office and Dorazio’s unique way of describing blocking schemes. “He was very expressive and quite enthusiastic,” the Lions GM and head coach said. “Just like today, when you see him off the field he is very reserved, very quiet but when he’s coaching it’s the complete opposite.”
Dorazio would follow Buono to BC in 2003 and the results have since spoken for themselves. Along with two more Grey Cups, there have been 16 West Division All-Star selections on Dorazio’s offensive line along with four West division Most Outstanding Lineman awards; two each for Jovan Olifoye and the retired Rob Murphy.
Buono expects Dorazio’s return to yield the desired result. “He will bring what we need which is a little more toughness and competitiveness up front,” confirms the CFL’s all time leader in coaching wins.
“The core belief is that you win with people who have great football temperament. That is what we expect our guys to be a part of, ” adds Dorazio.
Dorazio is also excited for the chance to work with Buono again. “It’s like putting your fingers in a glove. We’ve been together so many years so that transition has been an easy one.”
The players themselves know what to expect and are relishing the opportunity to learn from a veteran of Dorazio’s caliber. “He’s very precise,” says Cody Husband. “The attention to detail is the best I have seen from an o-line coach and it’s great for the players to get that kind of coaching.”
Perhaps the most impressive attribute is the fact Dorazio is the great technician that he is despite never playing the position or looking the part.
“He probably knows more about the position than the linemen themselves,” adds Husband. “When he explains the drills and does the technique, his stuff is flawless. It shows how much he prepares and works to get our o-line the best it can be.”
Another factor that made Dorazio’s decision to return an easy one was the chance to be reunited with CFL all-time wins leader Wally Buono.
As for what has kept him motivated after 40-plus years in coaching, Dorazio credits the uniqueness of the position he coaches. “We’re coaching a position that is so different than any other in sports. If you look at the four major North American sports, o-line is the only position that plays with its object to the back of the game,” Dorazio says.
“Little Jimmy and little Johnny don’t go down to the playground to base block. Third and fourth graders aren’t being taught how to pass block. Kids don’t grow up doing that stuff.”
Along with taking advice from his mentors and players, the veteran coach has also used bad results as a way to learn and get better. “We’ve gotten out butts kicked many times and learned the hard way by not getting it done. That’s how you learn and evolve in our business.”
The fact Dorazio has been coaching over four decades and is still learning every day should make players and fans feel upbeat about his offensive line for 2016.
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Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com
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