Helping a friend: DeLallo steps in as C-M football coach
When Brian DeLallo resigned from his head coaching position with Bethel Park football in 2022 for health reasons, he received a phone call from his good friend and Canon-McMillan coach Mike Evans.
“He kind of knew I was in a bad place emotionally and told me that I couldn’t step away from football for a year,” DeLallo said. “He knew I was worried about my health, but he created a spot on his staff where I didn’t have to be on the field all the time and could be in the meetings. It helped me stay connected to the game that year.”
Now DeLallo is returning the favor by helping Evans in a time of need.
Evans is taking the year off from coaching the Big Macs while he’s battling cancer and asked DeLallo to step in as the interim coach.
DeLallo gladly accepted the offer and will coach Canon-McMillan this fall.
“When Mike called me and explained to me what was going on, I knew I had to help him out,” DeLallo said. “I’m doing a lot better now healthwise and he’s battling and I can help him. It’s almost come full circle.”
Once his year on the Canon-McMillan staff ended, DeLallo returned to Bethel Park to be the defensive coordinator for his former assistant Phil Peckich.
He is the Dean of Students at Bethel Park and said he received full support from the Bethel Park administration when he approached them about going back to coach at Canon-McMillan.
“It’s really been an effort of two different school districts,” DeLallo said. “Mike’s wife teaches in the Bethel Park School District. When I made the decision to come over to (Canon-McMillan), I met with the administration, and they told me I have to go do it. I was helping a friend and the husband of one of our own. Jen’s a great teacher and helps coach track at Bethel Park and is really involved with the district. It’s a great collaboration between Bethel Park and Canon-McMillan making sure I have some flexibility in my schedule to coach and help Mike out.”
DeLallo and Evans have been good friends for many years.
They met through Evans’ wife, Jennifer. At the time, Evans was the offensive line coach at PennWest California.
The two talk on the phone three to four times a week.
“We discuss everything from food to football,” DeLallo said. “Mike’s a talker, so we’ll go three or three-and-a-half hours sometimes.”
DeLallo had some familiarity with the players and coaching staff from his stint two years ago, which has helped the transition go smoothly.
He said the turnout for summer workouts has been excellent and the players are determined to put their best foot forward in all aspects, while Evans continues his fight with cancer.
“This group in particular is really tight with Mike,” DeLallo said. “They’re a close-knit group with one another. There’s a sense within them that they want to have a great year and dedicate their performance to Mike.”
Evans and DeLallo are aligned on many philosophies when it comes to football, but they also approach some facets of the game differently.
DeLallo has made some tweaks with how the Big Macs will operate this year and has been pleased with how the players have responded to him.
“Mike and I talk a lot about how we’re not identical people and we’re going to do some things differently,” DeLallo said. “I’m asking these guys to buy-in to some different stuff. Mike and I are very similar, but we do have some differences. Building that trust with the kids is key and to their credit they have been really open minded about some of the changes. I think they trust me, because a lot of them know me from 2023.”