Cucinello coached West football team

Former Wauwatosa West and Brown Deer football coach Dominick Cucinello died March 2 in Virginia after battling esophagus cancer.

Cucinello, 81, coached football at Brown Deer from 1959-1971, being the head coach the last seven seasons. While with the Falcons he compiled a 33-26-4 record and two conference championships.

At Brown Deer, he was the head track coach and football coach (1965), producing many state track champions and winning conference championships in 1965 and 1967 on the gridiron.

Cucinello then moved to Tosa West in 1972 where he was appointed assistant principal and he held that position for five years.

In 1977 he was appointed principal of the Plank Road School in Wauwatosa and was there until he retired in 1990.

In 1979 he took over as football coach and after a few years, turned the program around.

His teams won conference championships in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and he compiled a 59-37 record with three conference titles from 1979-88.

His teams did not lose a conference game in those three championship years.

His 1982 team was a runner-up to the Class B State champions, his 1983 team was a semifinalist and his 1984 team was a quarterfinalist in the state championships.

He was conference Coach of the Year twice and an assistant coach of the South Shrine All-Star Football Team ('85).