by Mike Toone

Rich Kotite was born in New York City in 1942. His love of the area never left him. In time he attended his native Staten Island college of Wagner. He liked football and while there he played tight end on the school's team. He played it well enough to get noticed by the scouts; as such his name was thrown into the pool. In 1965 he was chosen in the eighteenth round of the National Football League (NFL) Draft. He was, for a time, a Viking in Minnesota.

That lasted for the 1966 year, and then his ship sailed. In 1967 he found himself back home playing for the New York Giants. That visit home was short as in 1968 he found himself West of there in a town called Pittsburgh. Home of the "Steelers". However, as the lords of football can do, he returned once more to the New York Giants. This time he played from 1969 to 1972.

At the end of his seven years as a professional football player a couple of things were noted. He never finished in the top 10 of any major category during his playing years. As if that was not enough another commentator mentioned he never even finished in the top all time 50 in any major category. None of which bothered Kotite. No matter what anybody said football was his chosen career. That was his plan.

For almost twenty years he was an assistant coach in the NFL. While with various teams he remained steadily employed. Not always an easy thing to do in any professional sport. In 1990 he found himself as an offensive co-coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. It was in the "City Of Brotherly Love" that most people outside of the "Big Apple" started to hear of him.

Philadelphia fan favorite head coach Buddy Ryan was fired. Kotite got promoted and probably thought he had arrived. For a while he had. In 1991 the Eagles had a ten-win season. Kotite, and the Birds, followed that up in 1992 with eleven wins. They went 8-0 at home and earned a NFL Wild Card position. The following year, 1993, was a step back but they went .500 with a season eight and eight. Still a respectable year but fans wanted better. Unknown to many a new moneyman was moving in to buy the Eagles franchise. In May of 1994 Jeffrey Laurie at age 42, with some help from his rich friends, became the new owner of Eagles.

Kotite was in the last year of his contract, and had a new boss. It was time to impress, and he did. The fans anyways liked the start of 1994. By mid season the Eagles were seven and two. It was at that point of the season a couple of announcements were made to the public. Laurie made it clear he would not be renewing his contract. Kotite announced he would look around for a new Head Coach position. Then the Eagles lost the next seven games. Not exactly a resume builder.

That didn't stop Leon Hess the owner of the New York Jets from hiring him. When asked why Hess replied "I'm 80 years old. I want results now!". Rich Kotite was to provide them, and so plans were made. In the next two years the Jets won a total of four games, and Kotite's Head Coaching days were over. That plan did not work so well. However his early plan to stay in the NFL had.

He went in as a rookie in 1965. He left the NFL in 1996. Counting the last seven loses in Philadelphia and thirty-one of the thirty-five lost football games he coached the Jets his winning Head Coach percentage went from a high of .632 to an ending of an unemployable low of .114. He had a thirty-one year ride in the NFL, and many believe he gave it his best. If nothing else he will be remembered for following his dream, and sticking it out.

As he had for years Kotite continues to live in Castleton Corners of Staten Island NY. He stays busy with public appearances, special coaching at college levels, and lending his time to charitable causes. Just recently, in June, he hosted the 2007 Staten Island Bank and Trust/March Of Dimes Celebrity Golf fundraiser. As for national exposure he has been seen doing a promotional commercial for the USA Network coverage of the US Open Tennis Championship. Closer to football he appeared in a Super Bowl XXXIV pre game commercial for AmerTrade. In the commercial he played a Dad whose son wanted to be a dancer.

The role was a good one. Rich Kotite showed us that no matter what critics say follow your dream.