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Contrary to popular belief, the University of Miami didn’t just start fielding great teams in the 1980s. The Hurricanes also had some very strong teams in the mid 1950s. Among their best players was Sam Scarnecchia. Scarnecchia played during a time when college players saw action on both offense and defense. He was an outstanding quarterback who was a threat as both a runner and passer for then UM head coach Andy Gustafson. On defense, he was a hard hitting strong safety. During his 2 years as starter, Scarnecchia led the Canes to a combined 14-4-1 record during the 1955 and 1956 seasons. He was part of a backfield that included future NFL first round picks Jack Losch and Don Bosseler. During his senior year, Scarnecchia led the Canes to 8-1-1 record and finished #9 in the final AP Poll. It was the first Top 10 finish in UM football history.
After an outstanding college career, Scarnecchia went on to a long and distinguished career as a high school coach and educator in Miami. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Archbishop Curley High School and later became a part of the legendary staffs at Coral Gables High, then led by head coach Nick Kotys. Scarnecchia later became an assistant principal at South Miami High School. In 2010, he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. He recently passed away on August 3, 2022. Sam Scarnecchia was 87.
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