It was a cold, November night in 1985 and the Cardinal Mooney High football team was practicing under the lights at Stambaugh Stadium, preparing for an upcoming playoff game.

As was the norm, a Don Bucci-coached practice ran longer than expected. A maintenance worker at Youngstown State turned out the stadium lights, leaving Bucci and his players in the dark.

“We started running toward the end zone to end practice and Coach Bucci tells us to get in the huddle, we’re not done,” recalls Bo Pelini. “He wasn’t quite satisfied and he wasn’t going to let anyone dictate when his practices ended.

“We practiced for another thirty minutes or so in the dark until Coach Bucci was satisfied with the results. His demand for excellence and his attention to detail is the reason for his success. More importantly, it’s the reason why so many of his former players enjoyed success beyond high school football.”

Pelini would go on to coach in the college ranks, including head coaching jobs at Nebraska and Youngstown State. His brother Carl is the current Mooney head coach.

Like so many former Cardinal Mooney players, Pelini spent the past few days mourning the loss of Bucci, who passed away Saturday at the age of 89.

Bucci led the Mooney program from 1966 to 1999, compiling a 306-89-5 record. The Cardinals won four state titles during Bucci’s tenure, winning crowns in 1973, 1980, 1982, and 1987. He is the 12th-winningest coach in Ohio history.

“The demands he put on players, the attention to details and fundamentals, those are often missed in today’s game,” Pelini said. “His style isn’t widely permitted or accepted in today’s game, and that’s a shame.”

“All of us who played for Don, as we get older we all realize more and more each day that he was preparing us for life, not just for a football game.”

Ed Muransky graduated from Mooney in 1978. He was a football and academic All-American at the University of Michigan then went on to play for the Oakland Raiders. That was followed by a successful business career.

Muransky credits Bucci for “helping lay the foundation of my future.”

“Back when we were teenagers we would all scratch our heads and wonder why Coach Bucci was putting us through these five, six-hour practices,” Muransky said. “We thought to ourselves, ‘We’re really good, and we got this, why are we continuing to do the same things over and over again.’

“But that attention to detail, that strive for perfection and the work ethic, that all carried us through life. Coach Bucci was using football to prepare us for our future beyond high school football.

“Coach Bucci was a pillar of Mooney and of our community. I’ll miss him.”

Like Pelini, Rick Shepas (Mooney class of 1983) went on to become a coach after playing for Bucci. Shepas’ past head coaching stints include successful stops at Poland, Massillon, and Waynesburg University. Today he is an assistant at Mooney.

Shepas said it is not a coincidence that so many of Bucci’s players went on to follow in his footsteps.

“When you’re a teenager playing for Don, his words, his actions, and his caring nature leaves a lasting impression,” Shepas said. “For so many of us, when we moved on from high school we looked back on the impact Coach Bucci had on our lives, and we could only hope to have a similar impact on those we taught and coached.”

Shepas said that Bucci was “all about integrity, character, and tradition.” He noted that Bucci was a perfectionist with an incredible work ethic, traits he demanded from players both on and off the field.

“There was a standard we had to live up to, not just in football but in the classroom and as citizens,” Shepas said. “Players followed the rules, they stayed on course not out of fear but because they deeply respected Coach and they didn’t want to let him down.”

When the Youngstown Chaney football program was reintroduced in 2019, the Cowboys’ first opponent was Cardinal Mooney. The game was played at Rayen Stadium, and Bucci served as an honorary captain.

Shepas said that seeing Bucci roam the sidelines that night created a lasting impression.

“You could just see him reliving a lifetime of memories,” Shepas said. “I asked him, ‘Coach, what was your greatest accomplishment?’ And he replied, ‘I always stuck to my plan.'”

For the Stoops family, Cardinal Mooney football under Bucci was a family affair in more ways than one. Brothers Ron Jr., Bob, Mike, and Mark all played for Bucci and then went on to become highly successful coaches. Ron Stoops Sr. served as an assistant under Bucci until his death in 1988.

Each of the four Stoops brothers graduated with one of Bucci’s four sons.

Ron Sr. and his wife Dee served as godparents for Bucci’s youngest son. Doug.

“There was a very close connection, a strong bond between the two families,” Ron Jr. said. “But, that family atmosphere existed throughout the Mooney program. If you were part of Mooney football, you were family. You were part of something special.

“Mr. Bucci created a unique culture at Mooney, he created the mindset that football can be an important tool in molding the lives and the futures of young men.”

Ron Jr. says he will never forget the “marathon practice sessions” in which Bucci demanded perfection. He also has strong memories of Bucci’s attention to detail.

“We’d run just the same three or four plays, but in practice, we’d run them over and over again. Don would walk down the line, and point out to each player the smallest of details that had to be corrected. We didn’t question it, because he always produced positive results,” Ron Jr. said.

Ron Jr., who most recently served as an assistant at YSU, said his fondest memories of Bucci revolved around his pregame speeches.

“I have never been around anyone who gave better pregame talks,” Ron Jr. said. “He put a lot of thought into those speeches, the messages were always very strong and emotional.”

“Coach had an unbelievable ability to humble us as players. He’d break us down without making us feel defeated. He’d push us to our limits, but we’d go out there fully believing in him and in ourselves.”

Bob Stoops enjoyed a successful 18-year stint as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. He is now the head coach of the Arlington Renegades of the XFL.

Bob noted that wherever he travels throughout the United States, Bucci’s name is synonymous with the Mahoning Valley.

“You mention you’re from Youngstown and coaches immediately bring up Don,” Bob said. “Nationally, his name is legendary among the coaching circle.”

Like others, Bob notes that Bucci’s marathon practice sessions were well-known throughout the football world.

“When scouts came to the area, they would always visit Mooney last because they knew they could get there late and we’d still be out practicing,” Bob said. “There were times we would practice on the field until dark, then move onto the pavement or gravel and practice under the parking lot lights. Preparation and perfection were everything to Coach Bucci.”

“Don was a teacher, a motivator, a father figure and a role model. His impact will live on for years.”

Friends and family may pay their respects to Bucci on Thursday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home in Boardman. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Family Church in Poland.