A Man for Others
Service and development of young men are core values for Niners new head football coach, Biff Poggi
A man for others
Service and development of young men are core values for Niners new head football coach, Biff PoggiBy Michael J. Solender
Photos by Kat Lawrence
“We’re going to put out kids who are doing things that truly matter.”
Francis Xavier “Biff” Poggi’s journey to the role of head football coach of the Charlotte 49ers is instructive for life’s late bloomers.
By the time he was 17, Poggi had already cycled through eight different schools in his home of Baltimore, Maryland. He was out of school completely before his junior year in high school. Poggi lacked direction, was frequently in trouble, and made so many poor decisions, both he and his parents fretted over his future, worried his prospects for a meaningful life appeared uncertain.
While Poggi excelled in athletics, especially football, he’d yet to take to the spark of education and use it as fuel for achievement in life. “I was a very anxious kid,” Poggi said. “I was a mess. I was in and out of trouble. I made terrible decisions. I was a kid running from failure and fear of disappointing others.”
By Michael J. Solender
Photos by Kat Lawrence
“We’re going to put out kids who are doing things that truly matter.”
Francis Xavier “Biff” Poggi’s journey to the role of head football coach of the Charlotte 49ers is instructive for life’s late bloomers.
By the time he was 17, Poggi had already cycled through eight different schools in his home of Baltimore, Maryland. He was out of school completely before his junior year in high school. Poggi lacked direction, was frequently in trouble, and made so many poor decisions, both he and his parents fretted over his future, worried his prospects for a meaningful life appeared uncertain.
While Poggi excelled in athletics, especially football, he’d yet to take to the spark of education and use it as fuel for achievement in life. “I was a very anxious kid,” Poggi said. “I was a mess. I was in and out of trouble. I made terrible decisions. I was a kid running from failure and fear of disappointing others.”
Life however, at that very moment, had other plans for Poggi. He recalled how a single event changed his trajectory forever. “My father’s friend was at a restaurant,” Poggi explained. “And he used my father’s name in a conversation. A fellow at a nearby table overheard him and asked, ‘Poggi? Did that guy have a kid that was a good football player? What ever happened to that kid?’”
“My father’s friend said, ‘Well, that kid had a lot of trouble, he’s not playing anymore, and he’s not going to school. And it’s just really a shame.’ The gentleman wrote his name and number on a napkin and said, ‘Tell his father to call me. I’m the athletic director and head coach at the Gilman School.’”
Gilman School, an all-boys private independent prep school, is well known as one of the most prestigious and academically rigorous schools in Baltimore. Fully integrated in the 1960s, the school has enjoyed a strong reputation for more than 125 years for development of young men from widely diverse social and economic backgrounds.
When approached by his friend with the incredible story, Poggi’s father was elated about the opportunity. His mother, less so. “She was a realist,” Poggi said. “She laughed, and said, ‘Gilman School? You can just throw that away because they don’t take boys like Biff.’”
At the coach’s invitation, Poggi went with his mother to meet Gilman School’s headmaster, Redmond Finney. “Redmond Finney was a larger-than-life person in this [Baltimore] community,” Poggi recalled. “He was a builder of men. He was from the absolute opposite background from us. He came from many generations of great wealth. And he loved kids.”
“I told him honestly my whole story,” Poggi said. “And I expected him to look like the priest in Amadeus when he got Salieri’s confession. But he looked at me and he said, ‘I’ve been doing this a long time, my whole life, and you know what I think?’ And I thought, Oh, I’m going to get ‘This isn’t right for you.’ And what he said was, ‘I think you’re a really good boy, and I think this is the best place for you.’ My mother began to cry.”
Finney shepherded Poggi’s entrée into the school. He had Poggi live in his home for a time around exams. His wife cooked for him, they schooled him and demonstrated daily their values of service to others. Poggi said it was as if Finney willed him to succeed.
“I believe God used Redmond Finney to change my life for a purpose,” Poggi said. “I modeled my career as a coach after him because he was a saver of boys and a builder of men. And that’s what I wanted to be; I wanted to coach all types of kids.”
Success both on and off the gridiron
Poggi parlayed his success at Gilman — both on and off the gridiron — to further his academic and playing career in college. He starred as an offensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh and as a graduate of Duke University. He was drawn into business out of college by his father-in-law where Poggi’s acumen and analytic bent in assessing business value led to success as a hedge fund manager.
Yet, coaching continued to pull on him.
Poggi brought his talent and desire to work with kids to Brown, Temple and the Citadel where he laid a foundation to his coaching resume before returning to the Gilman School. There, as head coach he guided the team to 13 conference titles in 19 seasons and gained national recognition for the program.
He repeated the success at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy, the oldest continually operating predominantly Black Catholic high school in the country. Poggi served on the prep-school’s board and was a significant donor, quietly contributing funds for 65 scholarships and making substantial investments in school programs and infrastructure. His leadership at St. Frances brought the school national prominence, rankings and most importantly from his perspective, scholarship offers for its student-athletes at institutions including Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan and others.
Poggi joins Charlotte after three seasons — two as associate head football coach — at the University of Michigan (he’d coached there years earlier for a season) supporting head coach Jim Harbaugh. Here, he was called “the most interesting man in coaching” by The Athletic, a national sports website. He earned the moniker for his ability as a coach whisperer, knack for building trust and a singular focus on developing unity of purpose throughout the team.
Pursuit of excellence
Charlotte director of athletics, Mike Hill held firm on several “must haves” when it came to criteria for selecting Charlotte’s third ever head football coach. Poggi notched ticks on each of them.
“What we’ve found with Biff is he has a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Hill. “The very best coaches have that incredible drive to make sure their student athletes and their team have success. He cares so deeply about the young men that are part of this program. He cares very much about building something special here. It’s why he took on this challenge. He is a tremendous leader of young men, and that was the number one criterion we sought.
“Everybody — coaches, administrators, student-athletes, fans and donors — are part of the ecosystem that allows a football program to have success. With Biff, he’s been able to come in and push all the right buttons to position us for that.”
– Mike Hill, director of Athletics, Charlotte 49ers
Life however, at that very moment, had other plans for Poggi. He recalled how a single event changed his trajectory forever. “My father’s friend was at a restaurant,” Poggi explained. “And he used my father’s name in a conversation. A fellow at a nearby table overheard him and asked, ‘Poggi? Did that guy have a kid that was a good football player? What ever happened to that kid?’”
“My father’s friend said, ‘Well, that kid had a lot of trouble, he’s not playing anymore, and he’s not going to school. And it’s just really a shame.’ The gentleman wrote his name and number on a napkin and said, ‘Tell his father to call me. I’m the athletic director and head coach at the Gilman School.’”
Gilman School, an all-boys private independent prep school, is well known as one of the most prestigious and academically rigorous schools in Baltimore. Fully integrated in the 1960s, the school has enjoyed a strong reputation for more than 125 years for development of young men from widely diverse social and economic backgrounds.
When approached by his friend with the incredible story, Poggi’s father was elated about the opportunity. His mother, less so. “She was a realist,” Poggi said. “She laughed, and said, ‘Gilman School? You can just throw that away because they don’t take boys like Biff.’”
At the coach’s invitation, Poggi went with his mother to meet Gilman School’s headmaster, Redmond Finney. “Redmond Finney was a larger-than-life person in this [Baltimore] community,” Poggi recalled. “He was a builder of men. He was from the absolute opposite background from us. He came from many generations of great wealth. And he loved kids.”
“I told him honestly my whole story,” Poggi said. “And I expected him to look like the priest in Amadeus when he got Salieri’s confession. But he looked at me and he said, ‘I’ve been doing this a long time, my whole life, and you know what I think?’ And I thought, Oh, I’m going to get ‘This isn’t right for you.’ And what he said was, ‘I think you’re a really good boy, and I think this is the best place for you.’ My mother began to cry.”
Finney shepherded Poggi’s entrée into the school. He had Poggi live in his home for a time around exams. His wife cooked for him, they schooled him and demonstrated daily their values of service to others. Poggi said it was as if Finney willed him to succeed.
“I believe God used Redmond Finney to change my life for a purpose,” Poggi said. “I modeled my career as a coach after him because he was a saver of boys and a builder of men. And that’s what I wanted to be; I wanted to coach all types of kids.”
Success both on and off the gridiron
Poggi parlayed his success at Gilman — both on and off the gridiron — to further his academic and playing career in college. He starred as an offensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh and as a graduate of Duke University. He was drawn into business out of college by his father-in-law where Poggi’s acumen and analytic bent in assessing business value led to success as a hedge fund manager.
Yet, coaching continued to pull on him.
Poggi brought his talent and desire to work with kids to Brown, Temple and the Citadel where he laid a foundation to his coaching resume before returning to the Gilman School. There, as head coach he guided the team to 13 conference titles in 19 seasons and gained national recognition for the program.
He repeated the success at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy, the oldest continually operating predominantly Black Catholic high school in the country. Poggi served on the prep-school’s board and was a significant donor, quietly contributing funds for 65 scholarships and making substantial investments in school programs and infrastructure. His leadership at St. Frances brought the school national prominence, rankings and most importantly from his perspective, scholarship offers for its student-athletes at institutions including Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan and others.
Poggi joins Charlotte after three seasons — two as associate head football coach — at the University of Michigan (he’d coached there years earlier for a season) supporting head coach Jim Harbaugh. Here, he was called “the most interesting man in coaching” by The Athletic, a national sports website. He earned the moniker for his ability as a coach whisperer, knack for building trust and a singular focus on developing unity of purpose throughout the team.
Pursuit of excellence
Charlotte director of athletics, Mike Hill held firm on several “must haves” when it came to criteria for selecting Charlotte’s third ever head football coach. Poggi notched ticks on each of them.
“What we’ve found with Biff is he has a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Hill. “The very best coaches have that incredible drive to make sure their student athletes and their team have success. He cares so deeply about the young men that are part of this program. He cares very much about building something special here. It’s why he took on this challenge. He is a tremendous leader of young men, and that was the number one criterion we sought.
“Everybody — coaches, administrators, student-athletes, fans and donors — are part of the ecosystem that allows a football program to have success. With Biff, he’s been able to come in and push all the right buttons to position us for that.”
– Mike Hill, director of Athletics, Charlotte 49ers
Charlotte’s position as a young, yet highly visible program joining the newly reformed American Athletic Conference presented an opportunity for Poggi and the University that aligned on many levels. Chad Chatlos, managing director with TurnkeyZRG, the executive search firm the University worked with in filling the head coaching role, identified several factors that made the connection a special fit.
“Charlotte is uniquely positioned going into the American Athletic Conference,” notes Chatlos. “The growth of the program, started only 10 years ago from scratch, is unprecedented. There’s potential for this program to go deep into the AAC, win the conference, qualify for the college football playoffs and become a power-five group school down the line. The growth of the University, the importance of academics, being highly competitive in football, the business community, and the opportunities this presents — it’s Biff Poggi. Biff is all about investing in the kids, being a great mentor and a teacher.”
Poggi’s enthusiasm for joining Charlotte is infectious and is already building momentum throughout the Queen City.
“Coming here and discovering what Charlotte is all about has been exciting,” said Poggi. “I didn’t know [Charlotte] is a research powerhouse, or the fastest-growing institution in the state of North Carolina with nearly 30,000 students. I didn’t know the city is so vibrant and has more Fortune 500 companies domiciled here than any other city in the country except New York.”
impact on the charlotte community
“One of the reasons I took the job is that this thing is rocking and rolling. I thought, ‘What if we can create an environment where we’re winning and going to bowl games?’ Our hit rate in recruiting has been nearly 90 percent; it’s unheard of. And the reason is due to the amazing experience recruits have when they visit campus. They learn about the business community and opportunities. They hear the academic presentation, experience the beautiful campus and fall in love with this place, just like I did.”
Hill is quick to emphasize the impact a successful football program can have on the University and the greater Charlotte community.
“Athletics gives an institution an opportunity to tell its story on a national platform,” Hill said, “And to engage students, alumni and donors in a meaningful way and to impact those lives. Successful football programs can elevate the profile of an institution, and it has been demonstrated time and time again the impact this can have on enrollment and on the student life experience. When we survey high school students across the state, the number one factor in deciding to attend a university is academics. Number two is campus life and student life, and athletics plays a significant role in that.”
“There’s certainly a social aspect,” Hill said, “We’ll have 5,000 or 6,000 students at a football game. Football builds lifelong memories; it builds lifelong affinity for an institution. We’re here to compete for championships and provide this institution with a point of pride – and demonstrate excellence in everything we do.”
For Poggi, winning championships is a point on a journey of discovery, learning and lessons for the young men he coaches.
“The basis of my coaching philosophy is ‘building men for others,’” Poggi said. “I take it from my own life, because I’ve had to learn how to be a good dad, a good son, a good husband, and how to be a good friend. We work to communicate these values every day.
It’s a 20-year process; we’ll know about the 2023 team – how successful we were – when we see the kind of fathers, husbands, community members and people of service they become.
– Biff Poggi
“We could be 12 and 0. Yet if we have a bunch of guys who didn’t get the message, then what was the purpose of the whole thing? In my experience in athletics and business – when you invest in a human being, not in the transactional relationship but in the transformative relationship – what you get is a return that’s off the charts. If we do our jobs, we are going to have awesome members of the Charlotte community, both the University and the greater community. And we’re going to put out kids who become men who do things that truly matter.”
Michael J. Solender is a Charlotte-based features writer. Read more at http://michaeljwrites.com/.
Charlotte’s position as a young, yet highly visible program joining the newly reformed American Athletic Conference presented an opportunity for Poggi and the University that aligned on many levels. Chad Chatlos, managing director with TurnkeyZRG, the executive search firm the University worked with in filling the head coaching role, identified several factors that made the connection a special fit.
“Charlotte is uniquely positioned going into the American Athletic Conference,” notes Chatlos. “The growth of the program, started only 10 years ago from scratch, is unprecedented. There’s potential for this program to go deep into the AAC, win the conference, qualify for the college football playoffs and become a power-five group school down the line. The growth of the University, the importance of academics, being highly competitive in football, the business community, and the opportunities this presents — it’s Biff Poggi. Biff is all about investing in the kids, being a great mentor and a teacher.”
Poggi’s enthusiasm for joining Charlotte is infectious and is already building momentum throughout the Queen City.
“Coming here and discovering what Charlotte is all about has been exciting,” said Poggi. “I didn’t know [Charlotte] is a research powerhouse, or the fastest-growing institution in the state of North Carolina with nearly 30,000 students. I didn’t know the city is so vibrant and has more Fortune 500 companies domiciled here than any other city in the country except New York.”
impact on the charlotte community
“One of the reasons I took the job is that this thing is rocking and rolling. I thought, ‘What if we can create an environment where we’re winning and going to bowl games?’ Our hit rate in recruiting has been nearly 90 percent; it’s unheard of. And the reason is due to the amazing experience recruits have when they visit campus. They learn about the business community and opportunities. They hear the academic presentation, experience the beautiful campus and fall in love with this place, just like I did.”
Hill is quick to emphasize the impact a successful football program can have on the University and the greater Charlotte community.
“Athletics gives an institution an opportunity to tell its story on a national platform,” Hill said, “And to engage students, alumni and donors in a meaningful way and to impact those lives. Successful football programs can elevate the profile of an institution, and it has been demonstrated time and time again the impact this can have on enrollment and on the student life experience. When we survey high school students across the state, the number one factor in deciding to attend a university is academics. Number two is campus life and student life, and athletics plays a significant role in that.”
“There’s certainly a social aspect,” Hill said, “We’ll have 5,000 or 6,000 students at a football game. Football builds lifelong memories; it builds lifelong affinity for an institution. We’re here to compete for championships and provide this institution with a point of pride – and demonstrate excellence in everything we do.”
For Poggi, winning championships is a point on a journey of discovery, learning and lessons for the young men he coaches.
“The basis of my coaching philosophy is ‘building men for others,’” Poggi said. “I take it from my own life, because I’ve had to learn how to be a good dad, a good son, a good husband, and how to be a good friend. We work to communicate these values every day.
It’s a 20-year process; we’ll know about the 2023 team – how successful we were – when we see the kind of fathers, husbands, community members and people of service they become.
– Biff Poggi
“We could be 12 and 0. Yet if we have a bunch of guys who didn’t get the message, then what was the purpose of the whole thing? In my experience in athletics and business – when you invest in a human being, not in the transactional relationship but in the transformative relationship – what you get is a return that’s off the charts. If we do our jobs, we are going to have awesome members of the Charlotte community, both the University and the greater community. And we’re going to put out kids who become men who do things that truly matter.”
Michael J. Solender is a Charlotte-based features writer. Read more at http://michaeljwrites.com/.