BROOKLYN N.Y — The St. Joseph's University, NY (Brooklyn) Director of Athletics and Recreation Megan Valentine announced the hiring of Domenico DeLisi as the head coach of the women's flag football program ahead of its inaugural season. DeLisi brings years of coaching experience in both boys' tackle and girls' flag football in the high school ranks.
"This is a crucial hire for our program as we roll out the first-ever women's flag football team at St. Joseph's University, NY (Brooklyn). Our committee was impressed with Dom's energy, his vision for building the team, and his connections to football in the local community" stated Valentine, adding "we appreciated that he has coached girls' flag football at the high school level and can bring that experience here for our student-athletes. This will also help us to attract the flag football stars of tomorrow."
"I am incredibly honored to have been selected to lead this new program in this rapidly growing sport" DeLisi commented. "There is much work to be done but thankfully, I am working with other individuals who share a similar vision for our team & women's flag football."
DeLisi has been a part of the coaching staff for the girls' flag football team at Fort Hamilton High School since 2019, and served as the head coach during the shortened 2021 season. Under his leadership, the Tigers made five consecutive playoff appearances, achieving a 31-5-2 record and securing three Brooklyn division titles. In the 2023 season, senior quarterback Makayla Lewis led her division with 5 rushing touchdowns and ranked third in both passing touchdowns (12) and passing yards (737). Lewis also placed in the top ten of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) in these categories.
During that time, DeLisi coached Fort Hamilton's junior varsity boys' tackle football team from 2019-2021 and has served as an assistant coach on the varsity team since August 2021. The Tigers made back-to-back Division 3A Championship appearances in 2023 and 2024, logging a 9-2 record this season. Senior Aidan Farley led his division with 1328 passing yards, 88 completions, and 19 passing touchdowns. Classmate August Porter topped the division with 30 receptions. DeLisi also had a two-year stint as girls' junior varsity assistant basketball coach from 2021-2023.
"It's truly an exciting time for women's flag football at the collegiate level, and we have every confidence that Coach DeLisi will help us to build a tremendous program here that is focused on academic excellence, commitment to service, and athletics success" remarked Valentine in closing.
An advanced placement psychology teacher at Fort Hamilton, DeLisi earned a combined Bachelor's and Master of Art in Teaching from Stony Brook University. He currently resides on Staten Island.
Prospective students interested in joining the women's flag football program can contact Coach DeLisi at ddelisi@sjny.edu. They are also encouraged to complete the student-athlete recruitment form.
