Adam DiBenedetto was raised on Saturday afternoons in New York City, taking lessons in football coaching before the age of six.

Entering his first season as the head football coach at James I. O’Neill High School after seven as an assistant, DiBenedetto brings familiar leadership and a well-rounded coaching resume.

At 18, DiBenedetto knew he would stay in the sport long past his last career drive. Within months of graduating college, he was back at Brooklyn Technical High School, where his father Jim molded football players for decades. It was on the same sideline that Adam DiBenedetto began modeling his own example after those who came before him.

“Everything that I witnessed – from the memories I have from six years old – are coaches who were doing things the right way. It wasn’t about winning football games; it was about developing young people,” said DiBenedetto.

After six years at Brooklyn Tech, DiBenedetto and his family moved to Orange County. Ever-seeking opportunities and unafraid to make those phone calls, DiBenedetto would land at O’Neill as the girls’ basketball coach. After waiting for a football staff opening, he was back on the field in 2019.

DiBenedetto was then a defensive coordinator, soon-to-be soaked in playoff Gatorade. Alongside head coaching predecessor Dave Moskowitz, he won over the locker room, raised a state title, and sent dozens of athletes to young adulthood equipped with the values of high character and collaboration.

DiBenedetto prioritizes exemplary citizenship and character over scoring onslaughts. He is a trusted playcaller, guiding the young men of his team toward the right decisions. Not only on the field, but as sons and siblings.

The returning Raiders know who their first-year head coach is. Those who are coming up will soon feel the effect of DiBenedetto’s “tough love” coaching style, if they don’t already.

“I’m going to correct everyone – everyone is going to be coached hard, with the design of making them better. They know I can make mistakes as well,” said the coach.

Responsibility is the top line of the book, every time. From athletes keeping themselves and one another accountable for offseason training and Sunday practice, to DiBenedetto being the first to own his missteps.

“I think that goes a long way with kids. Just because I’m the coach doesn’t mean I’m going to be right 100% of the time,” he added.

According to O’Neill athletic director Brooks Alexander, the search for Moskowitz’s coaching successor hinged on three criteria: experience, quality character, and an involved presence at James I. O’Neill High School. DiBenedetto, a U.S. History and AP World History teacher, swept the board.
While a football IQ rising to DiBenedetto’s level is “critically important”, Alexander sees more reasons for his success in this first year.

“As I told the Superintendent, in my opinion Bill Belichick would not be a better choice for this position than Adam DiBenedetto. Adam is the perfect candidate for James I. O’Neill High School, and he is going to be an outstanding coach,” said Alexander.

Countdowns in DiBenedetto’s classroom and the Raider weight room mark the return to the field. At the cusp of preseason and under new leadership, the squad has seen over 200 days of accountability and hard work in preparation. It just means more from a coach who holds himself to the same standard.

Inside of a month to the first kickoff, the Adam DiBenedetto era has already begun.