Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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fice immediately. No excuses will be accepted,'" Montana said in his speech. "He became my surrogate father on the road. They took me in, took me into their house, became more than just my advisor. I thank them for their help." All-time men's basketball scoring leader Austin Carr (1968-71) in virtually any talk involving Notre Dame brings up DeCicco's impact. "When I lacked confidence academically, Coach DeCicco was always there to put me in the right direction," Carr said. DeCicco also saw to it that those were renowned for their nightlife activities during their time at Notre Dame and admitted they "liked to test Mike a little bit." "Part of a college atmosphere is to have a little fun," Hanratty mused. "We'd miss a couple of classes here and there, and he'd call us in and yell and scream. We'd say, 'Coach, you know you love us.' "We needed guidance, but we always liked to have a little fun with him. He was like a drill sergeant, because he knew what that was going to mean to you in later life. At 18, 19 years of age, "The next statue that goes up at Notre Dame should be Mike DeCicco. He had the biggest heart known to man. He was truly a Notre Dame man." Former Irish quarterback Terry Hanratty (1966-68) more gifted scholastically would continue to aspire to higher levels. Notre Dame was second only to the Air Force Academy for many years in post-graduate scholarships that were awarded to student-athletes. During DeCicco's reign, Notre Dame graduated 99 percent of its football players who enrolled and stayed four years at the school, and it was an annual recipient of the then College Football Association Academic Achievement Award that began in 1981. In 1988, Notre Dame became the first school ever to win a football national title while also graduating 100 percent of its players. Among 59 other CFA member institutions who returned their results that year, the graduation rate was 50.7 percent. Hanratty and running back classmates Bob Gladieux and Ron Dushny you can't project after 40. He knew you needed this diploma to make it in life, and Mike wanted to see everybody succeed." In a Jan. 7, 1980, feature by Sports Illustrated on DeCicco, it was reported that his "Italian Hug" was part of his charm. Wrote SI: "It is something all Irish fencers long for. In administering The Hug, DeCicco clasps a hand behind the fencer's neck, pulls down and applies a combination cheek-to-cheek rub and hearty embrace. The Irish find it far more rewarding than a handshake or a pat on the rump." DeCicco, a 2002 inductee into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, is survived by his wife of 62 years, the former Polly Romeo, and his five children — Linda, Della, Nick, Michelle and Mike. ✦