LEXINGTON, Va. - Washington and Lee University's former head football coach and faculty member, Frank Miriello, passed away over the weekend at the age of 79. Miriello led the Generals from the 1995 through the 2011 season.
Miriello spent 26 years coaching at Washington and Lee, arriving in Lexington in 1978 as an assistant coach on the late Gary Fallon's first football team at W&L. From 1982 through the 1989 season, Miriello pursued other coaching opportunities before returning to Lexington in 1990 as an assistant football and lacrosse coach. He was named the defensive coordinator in 1991 and took over as head coach following Fallon's unexpected passing in 1995.
Miriello remains the program's all-time wins leader, with an overall record of 91-78-1 (.538) during his time in Lexington. His teams posted a .500 or better record in 12 of his 17 seasons, earning two Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
During his 17 seasons as head coach of the Generals' football team, Miriello coached players to 61 First Team All-ODAC citations and 11 All-America honors. Robert Hull '96 and Chris Sullivan '02 were also recognized nationally as finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, which is awarded to the Division III National Player of the Year.
Miriello was named ODAC Coach of the Year five times (1996, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2010) and was recognized as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) South Region Coach of the Year and SportExe Division III Coach of the Year in 2006. That season, he led the Blue and White to a 7-4 record, securing the program's first conference championship since 1985 and its first postseason appearance since the 1951 Gator Bowl.
After retiring in 2012 following 17 years as the head football coach at Washington and Lee, Frank served as the Senior Defensive Quality Control Coach at Coastal Carolina University for two seasons. He also held coaching positions at Hampden-Sydney (1982) and VMI (1983-84) before becoming the head football and lacrosse coach at Mercersburg Academy from 1986-89.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at Harrison's Funeral Home in Lexington, Virginia.
A Mass of Resurrection will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at the Church of Holy Angels, 855 Scott Street, Kulpmont, PA 17834, followed by burial at St. Mary's Cemetery, Brennan's Farm Road, Kulpmont, PA 17834.
In his final years, Frank battled both ALS and dementia. ALS is a devastating disease with no cure and treatments, In his memory, the family requests that donations be made to the ALS Association.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
