RECRUITING AREAS: Texas, Western Pennsylvania
Anthony DiMichele returns for his second season as the Crusaders' safeties coach in 2023. A three-year starter for Holy Cross and former running backs coach for the Crusaders, DiMichele also serves as the program's recruiting coordinator and serves in a key role with football alumni relations.
In 2022, the Holy Cross defense ranked atop the Patriot League in total defense and scoring defense. As a team, Holy Cross went 11-0 during the regular season for the third time in program history and first time since 1991. The 2022 Crusaders (12-1) recorded the most single-season wins in program history and advanced to the NCAA FCS quarterfinals for the first time since 1983; their lone loss on the campaign was a hard-fought playoff contest to top-seeded South Dakota State, the eventual national champions. Holy Cross finished the year with a No. 6 ranking among all FCS teams as a result of numerous marquee wins, including a Hail Mary victory against FBS foe Buffalo and an overtime win over nationally ranked Fordham; the Crusaders also earned their first win at Harvard since 2000 and defeated Harvard and Yale in the same season for the first time in program history.
DiMichele returned to Holy Cross after three seasons at Lehigh, coaching Lehigh’s running backs and coordinating the special teams, while also serving as the Mountain Hawks’ recruiting coordinator. During the 2021 season, Lehigh led all of NCAA Division I in blocked punts and ranked fifth nationally in kickoff coverage.
DiMichele previously spent two seasons on the Holy Cross coaching staff when he served as running backs coach in 2018, and prior to that was the Crusaders' assistant secondary coach in 2017.
DiMichele joined the Crusaders after serving as the secondary coach at the University of New Haven for two years. He helped lead the Chargers to a 13-5 record in Northeast-10 Conference play during that time, with the team finishing second in the league in 2015 and third in 2016. Prior to his time at New Haven, DiMichele was an assistant coach at Sto-Rox High School in McKees Rocks, Pa., for three seasons.
A 2011 graduate of Holy Cross, DiMichele was a three-year starter and four-year letterwinner in the secondary for the Crusaders. A two-time All-Patriot League selection, he also earned third team All-America honors from the Sports Network in 2009. DiMichele finished his career with 237 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, four interceptions and 20 pass breakups.
Following his graduation, DiMichele spent one season playing overseas for the Seamen Milano in Italy. He also earned a master’s degree in sport management from New Haven in 2016.
