Daniel Perez credits much of his personal development to the four years he spent at Fort Hamilton playing football for Vinny Laino.
He learned discipline, accountability, and plenty about the game. Now, Perez will put those lessons to good use – the school recently announced he will take over for Laino, who retired this offseason after compiling a 150-60 record in 20 seasons and winning four city championships.
“It’s a happy and sad time for me,” he said. “Sad because Coach Laino is leaving us; I’ve been with him for so many years now. But a happy time as well because I’m starting a new chapter in my life. … I have big shoes to fill. I’ll give it everything I have.”
A two-way lineman in his playing days, Perez began coaching under Laino in 1997, just months after he graduated from the Brooklyn school and while he attended Brooklyn College. He served as the defensive coordinator the last several seasons, helping the Tigers win consecutive city titles in 2005 and 2006, and leading them to back-to-back perfect regular seasons the last two years.
“He’s a very capable, outstanding young coach and he’ll do a great job,” said the 55-year-old Laino, who created the program at Fort Hamilton in 1990. “He’s gonna fit in perfectly. I’m sure things are going to go very smoothly. We’re not gonna miss a beat.”
Laino isn’t the only one that holds that opinion. Perez, a 31-year-old Sunset Park native, inherits a ready-made team, featuring elite wide receiver Brandon Reddish, who has received scholarship offers from Syracuse, Virginia, and Rutgers, pass-rushing demon Kevon Foster, wide receiver/safety James Howell, and two-way lineman Ivan Foy.
“The kids all know him, he’ll do a great job,” New Utrecht coach Alan Balkan said. “He has a little different personality from what I see. He seems a little bit calmer than Coach Laino, who is a little bit intense. He’s a very calm type of guy.”
Perez, who will teach physical education at Fort Hamilton in the fall, doesn’t plan to change much about the program, although he is trying to get its roster numbers up. The coaching staff will remain mostly the same. Ruben Sanchez, the former wide receivers and defensive backs coach, will take over as the offensive coordinator and a few new coaches from the JV will join the varsity. But he isn’t trying to establish anything new at Fort Hamilton. He wants to extend the legacy established by Laino.
“We’ve always been a tough, gritty group that works really hard and I want that to continue,” he said. “There’s always changes when you have a new coach. What I’m trying to do is continue the tradition of Fort Hamilton football.”