Bart Iaccarino new director of football for all of Rome

After successfully guiding Spain’s Reus Imperials to the Spanish championship game in 2017 in only their second season in the top league, ultimately losing to the Badalona Dracs in the final, Bart Iaccarino, is returning to his home, Rome, Italy to take over the Lazio Football program which will now include all American football in Rome.

With an extensive resume that is associated with these two teams, but has included stops with the University of Hawaii, and the St. Louis Rams, Iaccarino has now been handed full control of football in Rome with the merger of the Marines and the Roma Grizzlies. This is a huge undertaking but a welcome one according to Iaccarino :

“I am really happy to return to the city that has seen me grow up as a player, coach and man, it’s an honor to take part as head coach and technical director for such an ambitious project that I’m sure will revolutionize Roman football. I am already working to prepare a solid coaching staff that can prepare our players to express the highest potential possible without ever forgetting that the future starts with young people, on whom most of our resources are invested. “

According to the club his all-encompassing role will include:

• Defining the technical philosophy of all teams – from junior teams to seniors – including choosing coaching staffs.

• The development of the youth sector, which in addition to current flag teams, two under 16, two under 19, will expand to three new football schools within Rome

• Heading up the technical team of the Division as HC to ensure maximum commitment and best results. Iaccarino will start full time in September. He will be assisted by a US staff available from January next year.

American football International managed to grab Iaccarino for a few minutes in Mexico City where his is helping  prepare the Europe Warriors as they get ready to face one of the most storied college teams in Mexico,  the UNAM Pumas this Saturday.

American Football International: You are returning to your roots. What induced you to leave the Reus Imperials after such a successful season?

Bart Iaccarino:  I got an offer from the new GM of this attractive project called Lazio Football. I thought was amazing that the best two Roman teams will merge into only one. For me this was a huge opportunity personally and professionally that I could not pass it up so I spoke with my family and we decided to take this big step and return to Italy.

AFI: Before you started coaching, where was your playing career?

Iaccarino: I start play with Marines junior teams in the 1999 when I was only 16 years old and had to get a 5 hours train to arrive at practice, spent almost my entire player career there, had 2 years in Spain with the Reus Imperials and few months in Berlin with Adler, I ended my playing career with the Pioners L’hospitalet in Spain and won the national championship and lost the EFAF cup in the 2013.

AFI: You have traveled back and forth between Reus and Lazio over the years. What took you to Spain in the first place?

Iaccarino: I will be always grateful to the Imperials organization. Thanks to them since 2005 my job and my life has been football. I dedicate every day to this sport, so when I decided to hang my cleats up I wanted to build a new program in Reus with goal to make them one of the best national programs. After 5 years we moved from the lower regional liga to become the number 2 team in the nation. I can leave now thinking that I have repaid everything they gave me throughout all those years.

AFI: You will be in charge of the entire Lazio football program. What steps will you take to help it develop?

Iaccarino: I will start working, as always, from the base. I will prepare a new 3 year program to spread football throughout the entire city. My idea is to create small farm teams all around the city starting with Under 15,13 and 11 man flag football teams, with the goal to build our own internal league. For another side I will start early to fuse the two football organizations into one. These two have played against each other for the past 20 years and now they can be a double edged weapon so will be very important create a solid coaching staff who can help me to build an amazing atmosphere where players must be focused on learning the game and getting better.

AFI: Over the past three years, the Marines have done well except for the drop off this year, with the departure of their starting QB midseason. What can you do to improve consistency and compete with the teams in the North?

Iaccarino: First of all we have to work on the base and get back to basics. Right now we have all the best players the city of Rome can offer us plus we will keep working on recruiting other players from lower divisions and who are interested in growing and developing. From this standpoint we will do all our best to compete at the highest level possible and take a team from the south back to the Italian Super Bowl. The last time was 2009.

AFI: How long do you plan on staying back in Rome?

Iaccarino: As said before the project should be for 3 years but I know in my job anything can happen.

AFI: What are your expectations for 2018?

Iaccarino: Build a solid and competitive group, install a new philosophy from up to the bottom for each teams we will have, compete with the best football we can and build around as a new atmosphere in which all the fans of Lazio Football can be part of.

I would also like to officially thank Mr.Fabio Tortosa and Mr.Rendall Narciso who have entrusted me to lead this project since the day one. I will do all my best to made Lazio Football the premier football program in Italy.