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 For better than
three decades, from NCAA Division II, I-AA, Division I and
professional football, Joe D’Alessandris has inspired and developed
players to fulfill their dreams and talents. He has coached over 30
linemen who have had the opportunity to play in the NFL. Mentoring,
teaching, coaching and developing talent has been D’Alessandris’
trademark at all levels.
Now the offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills, D’Alessandris
played his high school football at Center, where he was a first team
offensive and defensive tackle in the Midwestern Athletic
Conference, and first team all-WPIAL as a defensive tackle.
D'Alessandris went on to become a four-year letterman and a
three-year starting offensive guard at Western Carolina, where he
earned a bachelor's degree in 1977 and added a master's degree in
1979. As a senior, he received the Catamounts' Big Cat Award as the
football team's most valuable player and served as team captain.
He began developing offensive linemen at Western Carolina as a
graduate assistant before moving on to Livingston, Memphis and
Chattanooga. After a stint coaching in the CFL and World League of
American Football, D’Alessandris returned to the college ranks to
coach offensive linemen at Samford, Texas A&M, Pitt, Duke, and
Georgia Tech. In addition, D'Alessandris coached on the Gray squad
at the 1999 Blue-Gray Classic.
His offensive lines at Georgia Tech helped pave the way for some of
the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top rushing attacks. In 2007, the
team rushed for 2,591 yards for an average of 199.3 yards per game.
In 2003 and 2006, D’Alessandris’ line paved the way for the ACC’s
leading rushers in both seasons, and in 2005 Georgia Tech led the
conference with the fewest sacks allowed. He also coached Hugh Riley
at Georgia Tech, who became a finalist for the Rimington Trophy,
given to the nation’s top center. While at Texas A&M, the Aggies
went 10-0-1 in 1994 and behind D’Alessandris’ offensive line
averaged 172.0 yards per game on the ground.
A coach in the National Football League since 2008, D’Alessandris
coached for two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs prior to joining
coach Chan Gailey’s staff in Buffalo. In addition to his NFL tenure,
D’Alessandris enjoyed one-year stints with the Ottawa Rough Riders
and Memphis Mad Dogs of the Canadian Football League. He also spent
two seasons on Gailey’s staff with the Birmingham Fire of the World
League of American Football. He began his long association with
Gailey when the two coached together at Samford. D’Alessandris
served as Samford’s assistant head coach and offensive line coach.
Born in Aliquippa, D’Alessandris and his wife, Toni, have three
children, Anna, Kelly and Emily. |
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