Sirianni brothers: a coaching triad
The question pops up from time to time and Mike Sirianni has the answer.
Were you ever thinking about joining your younger brother Nick’s coaching staff with the Philadelphia Eagles?
Sirianni, the very successful head football coach at Washington & Jefferson College, just smiles and shakes his head.
“No. That was never talked about,” Mike Sirianni said. “He had an opportunity to be on my staff. I tried to hire him one year, in 2006, and it didn’t work out, which was probably a good thing.”
Mike’s little brother Nick is preparing the Eagles for a Super Bowl showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. Nick has been the head coach of the NFL team for just two years and is in position to accomplish what only a few people in the history of pro sports have done: win a Super Bowl title.
Nick Sirianni is one of two people with connections to the local area to play in next Sunday’s extravaganza. Justin Watson is a wide receiver for the Chiefs. The South Fayette High School graduate missed last week’s AFC championship game with an illness but is expected to play in the Super Bowl.
There are other player from the WPIAL who will have prominent roles in the game: Eagles running back Miles Sanders is a graduate of Woodland Hills High School and Kansas City wide receiver and kick returner Skyy Moore played at Shady Side Academy.
“My father used to say that all my sons are at the level they were meant to be,” Mike Sirianni said. “My brother Jay is a really good high school coach. He’s won multiple state championships and we’ve won multiple conference championships and hopefully we will win a national championship. That’s the way we were raised.”
Mike Sirianni is one of NCAA football’s most successful head coaches, and the winningest football coach in W&J history. He completed his 20th season as the head coach at W&J in 2022.
Sirianni’s winning percentage of .807 (176-42) places him among the best of all college coaches at all divisions with at least 10 years of experience. At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Sirianni ranked fifth in winning percentage. His .807 winning percentage ranks him just behind Dabo Sweeney (.809) of Clemson and slightly ahead of Nick Saban (.801) of Alabama.
A seven-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, the 2012 D3football.com South Region Coach of the Year and the 2017 American Football Coaches Association Region 2 Coach of the Year, Mike Sirianni has led W&J to the postseason in 17 of his 20 seasons, including 11 NCAA playoff appearances.
Little brother has incorporated some stuff big brother has shown him off the field.
“He’s taken stuff I’ve done off the field and implemented it into what he does,” Mike Sirianni said. “Someone asked me why does he wear those numbers on his hat? Those are for your players. I did that for him when he played. Why do you wear your players’ T-shirts to press conferences? I used to do that. So yes, he copies some of the things I do off the field, not on the field.
“It’s neat to go to camp and see how they block things and run things and to get that first-hand knowledge on how they do it and why they do it. I took my staff to Eagles camp last summer so we benefit from it too.”
One thing Nick received some much-needed help was his handling of the media. His introductory press conference was awkward and even drew laughs from the media.
“I told him to be himself,” Mike said. “That wasn’t him. He was so nervous and since then, he’s been himself.”
But the seeds of coaching, what works and what doesn’t, comes from the Sirianni’s patriarch, Fran, and matriarch, Amy. Fran was a two-sport athlete at Clarion University. After graduation, he broke from his father’s offer to run a clothing store in Kane and became a teacher and eventually head football coach at Southwestern High School in Jamestown, N.Y., the hometown of Lucille Ball and Roger Goodell.
Fran met Amy and their three sons, Jay, Nick and Mike, grew up in Jamestown and eventually matriculated to Mount Union, where they earned degrees, played football and helped the team win a combined eight NCAA Division III championships. Jay, 47, went on to be head football coach at Southwestern, where he won two state championships; Mike, 50, moved on to W&J; and Nick, 41, made the climb in NFL coaching circles, with stops that included San Diego, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Philadelphia.
“My dad goes to every W&J game,” Mike said. “He never misses. Then he gets in the car, when they’re home, and drives to Philly. They’re retired and that’s what they love to do. My daughter has a volleyball tournament this weekend so they are coming too that. Jay’s daughter had a basketball game (this week) and they came to that. Saturday, before the NFC championship game, Nick’s oldest son had a basketball game and they were at that.
“They’re excited and proud, too. They would’ve been proud no matter what they did.”
Mike gets to as many games as possible on gameday in the NFL. He’s a pacer during games.
“You don’t control this,” Mike said. “You’re watching so you are at the mercy of what happens. It’s a little different than when you’re coaching. And it’s a totally different level, the highest you can get. There are only 32 coaches in the NFL. He has a box and it’s nice when they get a big lead because I can sit and eat some of the good food there.”