By HUGH CONRAD
LORETTO — When Paul Failla decided to take the offensive coordinator job at IUP, St. Francis football coach Dave Opfar did not have to look far for a replacement.
Failla, who installed the high-octane St. Francis spread offense during his four years as offensive coordinator for Opfar, has ties with Kevin Rock that cover a few decades.
“Paul and I grew up together,” Rock said recently after being named to replace Failla.
Rock inherits an offense that averaged 407.2 yards per game, leading the Northeast Conference. All 11 starters return, including quarterback Anthony Doria, who has started for the past three years and was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 2,895 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.
Receivers Luke Palko and Michael Caputo return after record-setting seasons. Caputo was named to the Division I-AA All-American team.
Opfar said the selection of Rock will be a seamless move.
“We are very excited for Kevin Rock to take over the duties at offensive coordinator,” Opfar said. “Some people don't realize that he and Failla helped to build a dominating program at Pine-Richland. Kevin has been an offensive coordinator, and I feel very confident that he can continue to build on the foundation that Paul has laid here at St. Francis."
Rock played running back at Pitt after graduating from North Allegheny, which won a state AAAA title with Failla and Rock in its backfield.
He started coaching at Pine-Richland in 1997, and the Rams won the WPIAL Class AAA title and advanced to the PIAA Championship in 2003.
Rock has served for the past two seasons as the St. Francis offensive line coach.
