| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1918-08-10)August 10, 1918 |
| Died | May 6, 1991(1991-05-06) (aged 72) San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1939–1940 | Bucknell |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1948 | Rutherford HS (NJ) (backfield) |
| 1949–1952 | Rutherford HS (NJ) |
| 1954–1956 | Redlands HS (CA) (assistant) |
| 1957–1963 | Redlands HS (CA) |
| 1964–1983 | Redlands |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 115–80–1 (college football) |
| Tournaments | 1–1 (NAIA D-II playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 9SCIAC (1966, 1970, 1973–1978, 1980) | |
Frank Serrao (August 10, 1918 – May 6, 1991) was anAmerican football coach. He served as the head football coach atRedlands University inRedlands, California from 1964 to 1983, compiling a record of 115–80–1. Serrao led his 1976 Redlands team to the title game of theNAIA Division II Football National Championship, losing toJoe Fusco'sWestminster Titans.
Serrao attendedRutherford High School inRutherford, New Jersey, where he played football as afullback andlinebacker and captained the 1936 team.Jim Blumenstock, who later playedcollege football atFordham University and professionally with theNew York Giants of theNational Football League (NFL), was a teammate of Serrao on Rutherford's football squad. Serrao also participated intrack at Rutherford. He was theshot put champion of the North Jersey League for two years. His farthest throw was 48 feet (15 m), but he lost out by six inches at a state meet toMonte Irvin, who went on to play professional baseball in theNegro leagues andMajor League Baseball (MLB). After graduating from Rutherford, Serrao moved on toBucknell University, lettering for two seasons on theBucknell Bison football team and playing mostly as a fullback. He also lettered three times on the track team, competing in the shot put. Serrao graduated from Bucknell in 1941 and joined theArmy Air Forces in July 1942, serving as a mechanic and reaching the rank of staff sergeant.[1]
Serrao earned a master's degree in physical education atNew York University and then began his coaching career in 1948 at his alma mater, Rutherford High School, working as backfield coach underGeorge Melinkovich. Serrao succeed Melinkovich as head coach in 1949 when Melinkovich left to become head football coach atUtah State University. Serrao also coachedbasketball and track at Rutherford.[2]
Serrao died on May 6, 1991, at St. Bernardine Medical Center inSan Bernardino, California following complications from open-heart surgery performed two weeks prior.[3]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redlands Bulldogs(Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(1964–1983) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Redlands | 5–4 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1965 | Redlands | 4–6 | 2–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1966 | Redlands | 7–3 | 4–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1967 | Redlands | 5–5 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Redlands | 5–5 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1969 | Redlands | 7–2 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1970 | Redlands | 6–4 | 3–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1971 | Redlands | 2–8 | 1–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1972 | Redlands | 5–5 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1973 | Redlands | 8–1 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1974 | Redlands | 7–2 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1975 | Redlands | 7–2–1 | 4–0–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1976 | Redlands | 10–2 | 5–0 | 1st | LNAIA Division II Championship | ||||
| 1977 | Redlands | 6–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1978 | Redlands | 9–1 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1979 | Redlands | 3–6 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1980 | Redlands | 6–4 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1981 | Redlands | 5–5 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1982 | Redlands | 4–6 | 3–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1983 | Redlands | 4–6 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| Redlands: | 115–80–1 | 71–24–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 115–80–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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