Photo: Coach Duke Greco via wcupagoldenrams.com
West Chester University welcomes Coach Duke Greco as the new head football coach for the 2024 season. Greco joins the Rams from Delaware Valley University where he was head coach for 10 years. He had an outstanding record of 91–15, reaching the postseason every year. He has six NCAA appearances, six consecutive Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) championships, two Centennial-MAC Bowl Series championships and four MAC Coach of the Year honors.
Greco has a long history with football as a player, coach and admirer of the game. He graduated from Lower Moreland High School, where he fell in love with football. Being a local guy, Greco was a fan of West Chester football. His brother attended WCU and he admired Coach Bill Zwaan. However, he went on to attend Delaware Valley University and played on their team as a safety and quarterback. “After I graduated, I just wanted to keep playing,” said Greco. “So, I ended up going overseas and playing in Italy for a couple of years.” When he returned from Italy, he soon found himself back at his alma mater. Greco coached at Delaware Valley University for a total of 20 years; 10 of those as head coach.
Greco shared that he was never interested in leaving Delaware Valley University unless the position opened at West Chester. “Over Covid, I said if I’m ever going to make the jump to Division II, West Chester would be the perfect place for me,” Greco noted. “I decided to come out of my comfort zone once the position opened up, so I’m excited to be here.”
This is the first season in 20 years where Coach Bill Zwaan is not the West Chester football head coach. Greco said he is excited to take over the reins from such a special leader. “I always looked up to Coach Zwaan,” Greco told The Quad. “I just want to do right by him because he’s made this program special, so to try to live up to what he’s done is exciting.”
The most important thing for Coach Greco is getting to know his players. “The big thing for me is to meet these guys and build relationships,” he remarked. “I try to be a relationship-driven coach, so I spend my time getting to know everybody.” He knows how important the player-coach relationship is from his time playing. “As a player, I could take criticism and hard coaching. When it came from someone who I knew cared about me and I had a relationship with, it wasn’t criticism, it was trying to make me better.” Greco made it clear that authenticity is important for leading the players. “The relationships can’t be fake,” Greco emphasized. “I want to put in quality time getting to know each other and make sure every guy here knows I care as much as them.”
Greco wants University alumni and football fans to expect a hungry team this season and to have high expectations for the 2024 Golden Rams season. Greco is ready to meet the players and get to work. “It’s all about the kids, it’s about the team and I’m happy to be here,” said Greco. “I’m excited that I was given the opportunity and I’ll do my best to live up to it.”
WCU football finished the 2023 season 6–5 overall and 3–4 in the PSAC. With many returning players, the team will meet in two weeks for their first workout with Coach Greco.
Rebecca Arnold is a fourth-year English major with a minor in journalism. RA953057@wcupa.edu