Primary Recruiting Areas: New York and Pennsylvania
Joe Cefalo is in his second season as an assistant coach of the Stonehill football program. He takes over this season as the special teams coordinator, while continuing his positional coaching duties with the Skyhawks linebackers.
Cefalo oversaw a linebacking crew in 2014 that was part of the top defensive unit in the Northeast-10. The Skyhawks led the NE-10 in total defense, allowing just 284 yards per game, as well as both passing (189.3 yds/gm) and rushing defense (94.7 yds/gm). Stonehill was second in the Conference for scoring defense (19.6 ppg allowed). The Skyhawks ranked in the top ten nationally in Division II for total defense (6th) and rushing defense (10th), while also ranking 17th for red zone defense (NE-10 low 65.7%), 31st for scoring defense and 35th for passing defense. Linebacker Brian Harrington posted over 100 tackles for the second straight year and earned All-Northeast-10 first team and Daktronics All-Super Region 1 honors for the second straight year.
Cefalo comes to Stonehill after two seasons as linebackers coach at NCAA Division III Wilkes University in Pennsylvania., where he coached two All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) linebackers. Prior to Wilkes, Cefalo was the defensive coordinator and also served as positional coach of the linebackers and wide receivers at Lake Lehman High School in Pennsylvania for two years.
Cefalo is a 2008 graduate of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, where he was a four year member of the Rams football team. He is one of three student-athletes in school history to hold the program record for career games played and was part of a class that posted the most wins in program history from 2004 through 2007, winning a pair of PSAC East Championships and the NCAA Eastern Region title in 2004. The Rams earned the ECAC Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy for Division II in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and his 2004 squad was inducted to the WCU Hall of Fame this year. Following his playing career, he earned coaching experience with the staff at West Chester as an assistant linebackers coach for the 2008 spring camp prior to graduation.
Cefalo, a native of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, earned his Bachelor's Degree from West Chester in 2008. He currently resides in Ashland, Massachusetts, with his fiance, Gabby.
