St. Aug, Holy Cross announce football coach hires

By Ron Brocato

The administrations of two high schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans are looking forward brighter days for their athletic programs in the face of the COVID-19. And they are working behind closed doors to return to normalcy by announcing two new head football coaching hires.

St. Augustine has named Nicholas Foster Sr., a former assistant at Edna Karr, as its new head football coach, and Holy Cross has called upon alumnus Nick Saltaformaggio as its 23rd head coach in its 98-year history.
            
The two will begin their duties in July.
            
For a brief time, Foster considered dentistry as his vocation. But pulling trick plays apparently became a greater passion than pulling wisdom teeth for the former athlete at Edna Karr High School and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
            
The administration at St. Augustine High School, who on April 1 announced Foster as its head football coach, is the beneficiary of that decision.
            
Foster, who served as an assistant coach at UAB and more recently at Karr, becomes the 13th head football coach for the Purple Knights, following such legendary mentors as George “Nick” Conner, Otis Washington and Tony Biagas. He replaces interim head coach Kenneth Dorsey, who finished the turbulent 2019 season after head coach Nathanial Jones left the program in October.
            
Dr. Kenneth St. Charles, the president and CEO of St. Augustine, described Foster, a 2011 graduate of UAB, as having a firm yet caring concern for his students. “Because of his vision and commitment to building a successful program, we are confident in his abilities and know he is the right person for the job,” St. Charles said.
            
St. Charles acknowledged that Foster arrives at the Catholic school at a critical time in the school’s and city’s history in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. And his confidence in the new coach was echoed by the words of the school’s principal, Gerald DeBose.

“He emerged as an ideal selection after an exhaustive search, which included many successful applicants,” DeBose said. “We look forward to working with him to build student-athletes with the highest character, emphasizing faith, family and future.”

Athletic director Barret Rey acknowledged the administration’s search for the most qualified coach and leader of young men. “Many great coaches were considered for this position, but Coach Foster really impressed the (selection) committee with his extensive knowledge of  Xs and Os. He brings a championship pedigree, and he’ll connect with the student-athletes to help them develop beyond the football field,” Rey said.

The committee didn’t have to look far. Foster was an associate head coach to Brice Brown at Karr. While on his alma mater’s staff, the Cougars won four LHSAA Class 4A championships in five finals appearances.

While the Purple Knights have enjoyed 27 winning seasons over the last 38 years, they have not won a state championship since1979 in Otis Washington’s final season as head coach football coach. 
Biagas has been the most successful of the 12 previous mentors by record, posting a mark of 131-57 between 1986-2002.

The school’s last Catholic League football championship came in 2013, when the offense was led by rushing great Leonard Fournette. But a 31-28 defeat by Archbishop Rummel in the Division I Select semifinal round game cost the Purple Knights an opportunity to play for a championship.

Foster is the latest to be charged with the task of returning St. Aug to the league and state summits.

At Holy Cross, Saltaformaggio will head the staff of a program that began in 1922. He follows such outstanding mentors as Lou Brownson (1942-46 and 1949-56), John Kalbacher (1958-75) and Barry Wilson (2003-13). He replaces Guy Lecompte (2018-19), who resigned as athletic director and head coach in February to become the head football coach at Country Day.

“Salt,” as he is known in the coaching ranks, has built a successful career, most notably at Hahnville, where he posted a 54-23 record, which culminated in a Class 5A runner-up trophy in 2017.

Closer to home, he coached East Jefferson  to its only state championship when he led the Warriors to a 15-0 record and a 38-28 victory over Karr in the 2013 Prep Classic. Saltaformaggio has also coached at Chalmette, a longtime Holy Cross rival, and one that may return as a member of the Catholic League during the LHSAA’s next reclassification in 2021.

Ron Brocato can be reached at  rbrocato@clarionherald.org .