Tom Masella was a standout defensive back throughout his four-year Seahawk career, highlighted by leading Wagner to a combined 17-3 record over his final two seasons on Grymes Hill. In Massella's junior season of 1980, Wagner compiled an 8-2 record, capped by the program's first-ever postseason appearance, as the Seahawks earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Playoffs. The following season, in 1981, with Masella serving as one of the Seahawks' team captains, the Green & White went 9-1, as Wagner rebounded from an opening-day loss to Montclair St. by winning nine straight. After making the team as a walk-on in 1978, Masella played three seasons for head coach Bill Russo and was a senior onÂ
Walt Hameline's first Seahawk team in 1981, when he recorded a career-high 69 tackles along with four interceptions. "Tom was a top player and leader on my first team at Wagner back in 1981 and was a driving force in our 9-1 season," said Hameline. As a sophomore in 1979, he earned the Nick Lia Memorial Trophy as the outstanding defensive player in the Homecoming Game. Over the course of his ultra-productive career, Masella came up with 14 career interceptions, a figure that some 37 years later, ties for fifth all time in Seahawk history. A three-year starter, upon graduation, he served as an assistant coach under Hameline from 1982-84. He returned to Wagner as Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordina-tor in 2012 and helped guide the Seahawks to their first and only NEC Championship that season. The 2012 team remains the only NEC team to have ever won an NCAA FCS Playoff game. During his career, he has coached at 10 different institutions, and has held head coaching positions at four institutions – Fairfield, Boston University, Central Connecticut and Fordham.
PRESENTER: Bert Benedetto - Former Teammate
