It’s hard to believe there was a time when former Swampscott football Head Coach Bob Serino said “to be honest, I didn’t really think I could handle it” about being at the helm. Years later, he retires with a legacy.
The announcement was made Monday morning via Twitter.
“I have called it a career in coaching the team I grew up playing for and love. I found out it’s not just a game. It’s way more. Thank you to all that makes this sport so great. Leaving with ‘no regrets,’” Serino said.
Rewind the clock. Serino was alongside former head coach Steve Dembowski in 2007, and came from Pop Warner prior to that. The Big Blue won the Super Bowl during his first year in the program.
“I thought, wow, this is easy,” Serino said.
Even though it took some time to win more gold, Serino left with quite the resume after taking over head coaching responsibilities in 2015.
In eight seasons at the Swampscott helm, he had a 52-34 record with back-to-back Division 5 Super Bowl championships (2019, 2021) to go along with 12 playoff wins.
Despite the individual accomplishments, Serino gives credit to everyone he was surrounded by, including his assistant coaches.
“It’s not easy nowadays. The price of living is up, everything’s up, and it seems like it was easier for people to coach way back when,” Serino said. “But it’s not easy to get good coaches that can show up every day.”
He added that one of the secrets to being a head coach is learning to let assistants do their jobs – and if done well, results and success will follow.
Serino built special relationships with his players. He remembers hearing a Swampscott senior say that football is much more than a game – a statement he certainly agrees with.
“They find that out after their senior year is over. It’s hard to find that out during the year, and they find out it’s about bonding with their teammates and their brothers,” Serino said.
Even though he helped pack stadiums with his football knowledge and success, he believes it’s more about helping young men mature.
“It’s so much more than coaching,” Serino said. “If it was coaching and that was it, it’d be very easy.”
“The biggest thing is – all we want to do is teach them to respect one another, respect their teachers, and everybody else. And, you know, get them ready for the next step in life,” he said.
Serino emphasized to his players to have “no regrets” and to leave it all on the field. On a side note, he added that he enjoyed when his teachings could affect someone outside of the sport.
“Sometimes parents use you to get a point across to them, and I’ve done that in the past,” Serino said.
One thing, among many, that Serino will miss are the crowds, adding that he loved seeing them when rivals came to town.
“As they say, if you win, and if you build a program, and you’re successful, people will come. And for the last three, or four, or five years, the stadium has been packed and it was very nice to see,” Serino said. “It’s a Friday night out for everybody in the town.”
Even though he won’t be watching with a headset, Serino said he won’t be a stranger when it comes to the future of the Big Blue.
“I’m gonna be a fan. I’ll be at every game, but my wife told me I’ve got to hold my grandchild the whole game, so I can’t yell,” Serino said.
