YESTERDAY'S HERO: Assumption College Softball Coach Ralph DeLucia

April 9, 2006

By Ken Hamwey

MetroWest Daily News/Milford Daily News

Sunday, April 9, 2006

Ralph DeLucia was a high-profile athlete at Franklin High and Dean College, but now he's blazing another trail -- as head softball coach at Assumption College.

The 63-year-old Franklin native, who was inducted into the Dean College Athletic Hall of Fame last October, excelled in football and baseball at Franklin High, where he also played basketball and ran track for one season.

At Dean, where DeLucia was only a 5-foot-8, 160-pound halfback, he used his quickness and speed to gain 750 yards, earn his team's MVP honor and become a second-team Junior College All-American.

The honors don't stop at Dean. As his ninth year as Assumption's softball coach approaches, DeLucia will never forget his 1998 squad. It holds the distinction of being the college's first women's team to go to an NCAA tournament.

"That squad went 34-13 and upset the No.1 seed (Merrimack) in the tourney," DeLucia said. "That's one of my top thrills in coaching. The other was going unbeaten as Franklin High's coach in 1992. That team lost in the semifinals to Case and finished 22-1."

Whether it was competing at Franklin High or Dean, or coaching at Franklin or Assumption, DeLucia has had a fabulous run in athletics.

Retiring in 2,000 as a lieutenant after 32 years on the Franklin Police force, DeLucia, who already was Assumption's coach, was hired as the college's assistant operations manager in the athletic equipment room.

"I have only one regret -- that I didn't get my bachelor's degree after Dean," DeLucia said. "But, I have no complaints."

DeLucia was named coach of the year twice at Assumption -- once in the Northeast-10 and the other by the ECAC.

"I'm grateful for the honors," he said. "Being inducted into Dean's Hall of Fame was great. It's always nice to be recognized for your efforts."

DeLucia was recognized by Franklin High opponents often. He played halfback and defensive end in football, was a pitcher and second baseman in baseball, played guard in basketball, and ran the 100 and 220 in track.

"My best game in football was against Uxbridge as a senior in 1959," DeLucia said.

"I ran twice for touchdowns in a 28-0 win."

In baseball, where DeLucia was all-Hockomock, he helped the Panthers go 16-4 his junior year and win two games in tourney play.

"I pitched my final year," he said. "We had a great game against King Philip when I pitched 6 2/3 innings, then moved to second base. It was tied, 1-1, in the ninth and I hit a 340-foot single off the fence. We won, but I didn't get the pitching victory."

At Dean, DeLucia helped the freshmen go 8-2, but with few quality linemen returning, the Red Demons were winless in DeLucia's final campaign.

"I had a memorable game against Northeastern's freshmen," he said. "I returned a kickoff 85 yards, had 100 yards rushing, caught five passes, scored twice and had two punts of 40 yards. I also played defense."

After graduating from Dean in 1962, DeLucia enrolled at the University of Bridgeport but left after a semester. He later took courses at Boston State and Boston University.

DeLucia eventually joined the Franklin Police force in 1969. He and his wife Suzanne have three daughters and reside in Franklin.

"I played for great coaches in Bill Rex and Tony Pisini at Franklin and Sal Lombardo at Dean," DeLucia said. "My philosophy as a player was to work hard and play to win. As a coach, I stress winning but I also stress that you must have fun competing. I drill basics, too. Doing the little things mean a lot."

DeLucia posted a 10-year record of 165-34 as Franklin's softball coach, and he's 214-171-5 at Assumption after winning 108 games in his first three seasons.

Ralph DeLucia knew how to win as a high school and college player, and he still knows the feeling in his second stint as a softball coach.