Sad news struck close to the Panthers on Wednesday afternoon. Panther great Serafino “Foge” Fazio died at the age of 71, ending his couragious fight with cancer. Foge most recently helped with sideline reporting for the Panther football games with Bill Hillgrove and Bill Fralic.

“It was tough this year to see him get sick and then really battle like he did — and he did battle. That was his mantra. He was a fighter and a survivor, and unfortunately, he lost this battle, he always did bleed blue and gold.”
– Bill Hillgrove

Foge was the head football coach at Pitt from 1982-1985 compiling a 25-18-3 record. He played for the Panthers from 1956-1959, and was an All-East center and the team’s MVP in 1959.

After graduating from Pitt, Foge was drafted by the Boston Patriots of the AFL. Eventually he returned to western PA to coach high school football before moving on to the college coaching ranks. In addition to serving as Pitt’s head coach for three years, Foge also spent time in various coaching positions at a few other universities: Notre Dame, Boston University, Harvard University, and the University of Cincinnati. Foge eventually moved on to coaching positions in the NFL from 1995 until 2005 for a variety of teams: the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, and the Cleveland Browns. Foge then joined Hillgrove and Fralic back in 2008 as a color commentator.

Foge will be missed dearly by Panthers players, coaches, and fans. Our deepest condolences go out to Foge’s family and friends.

Win it for Foge on Saturday boys.

R.I.P. Foge Fazio