Biff Poggi on E:60

[n6249c]

E:60 running a story now about the coach at St Francis in Baltimore, a guy named Biff Poggi. Interesting, inner city ghetto school. Poggi not only coaches the team, he's donated millions to the school for the program. He's a wealthy former fund manager. Controversial, opponents claim he's bankrolling a "super team". Otoh seems to be making winners out of losers. When he asked his team about gun violence 26 of his players had lost a parent to it.

His son is on the Pats. I suspect Belichick is probably scouting the high schoolers. E:60 reported Saban recruits there.

Ex-Michigan football staffer the center of controversy in Baltimore

 

[n6249c]

Here's the print version of the E:60 story. A good read.

E:60: How a football coach saved a program and lost his opponents

 

[DarrylS]

I have no idea if this is good or bad, right or wrong, but as usual there are detractors and more to this story.. he also pays the tuition for up to 40 players and houses them as well, this team has gotten so "good" that other teams refuse to play them.. when you recruit and pay tuition for the best it seems as though the process is a lot diluted..

Recruiting out of state players to play for St. Francis seems to be against the spirit of high school football...

https://deadspin.com/baltimore-prep-football-fight-gets-bigger-and-uglier-1826484496

Biff Poggi responds to critics of St. Frances football

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I've seen the segment a few times, it was a good story up to the time, he started transferring kids in from outside of Baltimore and then outside of Maryland. If this was a college team, he would be in violation of basically ever rule the NCAA for recruitment, and paying for things for the players.

He should have stuck with helping the entire school (not just the football program) and limited his scholarships to local kids and it would have been a great story.