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01/18/2017 11:00 PMThe shoe is certainly on the other foot for Dante Parisi in his career with the Guilford boys’ basketball team—so much so that he’s traded in his sneakers for a pair of dress shoes.
Dante, a former boys’ hoops captain and Class of 2013 gradate, first joined the Indians when Jeff DeMaio was settling into his role as head coach. During his winter break at Southern Connecticut State University last year, Dante took in a game at Guilford and told DeMaio that he was interested in becoming a coach himself. Flash forward one year later and Dante is back in the Guilford gym as the new assistant coach for DeMaio’s squad, which is out to a 5-2 start this season.
“It’s unbelievable to be back here and surreal. To go from playing for Jeff to coaching with him is amazing because he’s a great guy and it’s incredible what he’s done with this program,” says Dante, who will graduate from Southern Connecticut in May and is currently doing his student teaching for special education. “It’s so different coaching instead of playing. I see a lot more things. It’s cool to give back to a program that did so much for me. I’m a younger guy, so I think the players can relate to me more and they like that.”
Dante is keeping things short and sweet when it comes to his principles during the early stages of his coaching career. More than anything right now, Dante wants his athletes to stay zoned in on what’s happening, while displaying passion for their athletic endeavors.
“I’m about telling them to work as hard as they possibly can, along with staying excited about what you are doing,” Dante says. “You have to stay focused on yourself, your team, and execute your team’s game-plan.”
During Dante’s playing days, DeMaio had a notion he might one day step into the coaching arena. DeMaio’s premonition proved true and he sure feels glad that it did based on how Dante is doing thus far.
“I had a feeling that when Dante played for me that he had the potential to be an excellent coach. He was a tireless worker. He was cerebral. He was a great communicator. He was likable. He got the most out of his every ability and he had a great knowledge of how the game should be played,” DeMaio says. “For all these reasons, I felt he would be a great addition to our staff. So far, he has shown to be very patient with his players. His demeanor is calm and he is able get his points across clearly.”
As one who helps his players develop as both athletes and young men, Dante relishes seeing them achieve personal victories and is always willing to lend an open ear with a helping hand.
“I love when you see a kid succeed after helping them. When you see that lightbulb go off in their head, it’s the best feeling ever,” says Dante. “To help them succeed as people off the court is great, too. Each one of them has my phone number and I’m always there for them.”
Dante helped Guilford make great strides with a few postseason bids during his four-year tenure as an Indians’ competitor. Now, Dante wants to continue those upward trends in his new capacity as coach.
“I love this program and see it continue to rise. It’s been building for years and I don’t see it stopping,” says Dante. “As an assistant, I can help them with the little things that I see when they come off the court. I want to help them improve as athletes and as people.”