close
close

Le-verdict

News with a Local Lens

    • Wachusett football coach Mike Dubzinski wins 200th career game
    minsta

    Wachusett football coach Mike Dubzinski wins 200th career game

    Pabio Posted on

    As Mike Dubzinski shared hugs with his fellow football coaches Friday night in Northborough after a 32-27 victory against Algonquinthe longtime Wachusett coach had a surprise waiting for him.

    In the hands of Wachusett Senior captains Logan Dennett and Angel Rosa carried a banner that read: Congratulations to Wachusett football coach Mike Dubzsinki (on) 200 wins and a million more memories.

    Surprise, Coach! Oh, and here’s the game ball.

    “It means a lot to everyone because everyone sees every day how much work he puts into the football team and the environment, and it’s really amazing to see him reach this milestone,” Dennett said . “You could see how much it meant not only to the team but to him and his family.”

    For children

    Mike Dubzinski grew up in Gardner, played football for his father in Lunenburg, later played at Cushing Academy and graduated from Middlebury College.

    He quickly embarked on a coaching career that took him a few years at Natick High (where he won 24 games) before becoming coach at Wachusett in 1999.

    Now, 25 years and 176 wins later, including four Super Bowl titles, Dubzinski is the latest member to join the prestigious 200-win club.

    “Winning doesn’t depend on me at all,” Dubzinski, 59, said. “For me, it’s seeing the joy of watching kids grow, compete and get better every day. I had the chance to rub shoulders with a lot of good players. But it’s not about me, it never was about me and it never will be.

    “That’s really who he is. He’s never too high or too low,” his brother Steven said. “He never did it for the banner or the ball.”

    A connection beyond football

    For three seasons, Tucker McDonald played quarterback at the Wachusett Regional under the watchful eye of Mike Dubzinski.

    McDonald, now a sophomore on the University of Connecticut football team, happens to be the nephew of Wachusett’s football coach.

    “He was always the coach on the field,” McDonald said, “and at home, it was always Michael.”

    From the highs and lows of winning Thanksgiving football games together to the lows of McDonald losing his father and Dubzinski, his brother-in-law, the two developed a deep bond on and off the field .

    “He was always there for me,” McDonald said. “But since my father passed away, he has taken on the role of father figure in my life, alongside many other people. It’s great to see him get his 200th win and to see his team celebrating.

    “It’s such a huge accomplishment that it deserves to be celebrated.”

    The coach receives his flowers

    As news spread Friday night that the Mountaineers held on to beat Algonquin, good wishes began spreading across social media for Mike Dubzinski.

    “Congratulations to Coach Mike Dubzinski on his 200th career victory. The ultimate coach, educator, mentor and professional. Truly the best of the best in educational high school athletics,” wrote the Wachusett Athletics Account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    While Dubzinski’s brother also posted a congratulatory message online, current Lincoln-Sudbury coach Justin McKay responded: “Absolutely the best ever!! Here are 200 more! »

    McKay spent eight seasons working under Dubzinski at Wachusett before taking over as coach at Algonquin in 2012. The Holden resident — who still runs into Dubzinski (who lives in Rutland) around town — couldn’t be happier for his friend and mentor.

    “There is no one who cares more about the student-athletes and the people of the Wachusett School District than Michael Dubzinski,” McKay said. “He’s established such a culture of success there that breeds mutual commitment, and it means a lot to him to have relationships with the people he’s coached and with the community.

    “He doesn’t care about that record,” McKay added. “If you know Mike Dubzinski, that’s the character of who he is as a person. He doesn’t present himself that way, he doesn’t brag, and that’s really who he is.

    While Dubzinski may not care much about the milestone, other current and former coaches in the area were keen to congratulate the Wachusett coach on joining the 200-win club.

    “He’s doing it for the kids, he’s doing it for the right reasons and he’s obviously had a lot of success,” Shrewsbury coach John Aloisi said. “I have a lot of respect for him as a coach and as a man.”

    Leominster coach Devin Gates said: “Huge congratulations to Mike. He won a lot of matches by doing things the right way. Very happy for him, his program and his family.

    “It’s a tough thing to do, there’s a lot of losing in there, too,” added Dubzinski’s uncle, John Dubzinski Sr., who coached at Fitchburg and Leominster and won 214 games in 30 years of career. “You have to do it for a long time. He did a great job there; they were somewhat of a struggling program when they took over, and he made them a very formidable opponent.

    Share the spotlight

    After watching Jon Linberg run for two touchdowns, Thomas Anderson pass for two scores and Dennett recover a key fumble on Friday, Mike Dubzinski received the banner and game ball after Wachusett’s fourth win of the season.

    Still, Dubzinski quickly returned the ball to his starting quarterback, Anderson, who then tossed the pigskin with his coach like a hot potato. Finally, Dubzinski tossed the ball to his wife, Erin.

    “He wanted me to continue using it,” Anderson said. “I was like, ‘It’s okay, I’ll buy a new one, you keep this as a souvenir or a trophy.’ »

    No, coach wanted you to keep him, kid. It’s just who he is.

    “Michael would never want to take anything away from the kids and their accomplishments (Friday) or any other game he coached in,” said his sister, Kathryn McDonald. “He always thought of his team and his assistants.”

    But for one night this fall, the spotlight was on Mike Dubzinski.

    Two hundred victories and a million memories created.

    “I’m incredibly proud of him,” Tucker McDonald said.

    “We have great kids. They work hard,” Dubzinski said. “We are very lucky.”

    —Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Pabio
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like