He certainly is one of the more colorful characters on the sidelines in high school sports.
Former Putnam High assistant Dave Vitale used to make a great team with head coach Tony Falzarano (just ask the officials!) but he's not bad by himself either.
Vitale, now the head coach of the Marianapolis Golden Knights keeps things pretty animated over on the bench.
"This guy is already in church and it's not even Sunday," one of the more original quips that was uttered by Vitale on Saturday in his team's game vs. St. Thomas More in Oakdale referring to a call that went the way of St. Thomas coach John Hastings and his team.
I talked with Vitale later about the team's early season hectic schedule and he told me what makes it even more difficult was the team's language barrier. Some of his players don't speak english all that well and that makes for a tough combination with a "lunatic" like himself running the show.
As good as he is for a quote, Vitale is equally as good on the sidelines as he has re-vitalized the Marianapolis program. What was once one of the most feared, and controversial, programs in the public school ranks is now one of the more respected on the prep school circuit thanks to Vitale's contribution over the last three years.