Saint Vincent College

Head coach Dr. Ron Dolciato enters his fifth season as leader of the Bearcats’ football program in 2018.

Dolciato has put together a 15-25 overall record during his four seasons as head coach.

During his four years with the Bearcats, a total of 40 players have been awarded with All-PAC honors. Saint Vincent claimed back-to-back PAC Newcomer of the Year honors, receiving the award in 2015 (Tyler Donahue) and 2016 (Derek Stewart). Dolciato and his staff have also coached a pair of D3football.com All-Region selections, as Darius Brown earned Second Team accolades in 2014 and Ryan Crawford gained Third Team recognition in 2016. 

During the successful four-year run, the football program has broken numerous team and individual records. 

Under Dolciato, the Bearcats have seen a tremendous amount of success on offense. Four of the top offensive players in the modern era of Bearcat Football have starred under Dolciato.

Running back Shavonta Craft set career records for points (156), rushing touchdowns (25) and rushing yards (1,758). Craft recorded at least seven rushing touchdowns in three straight seasons (2014-16).

Through the air, Derek Stewart shattered the record books during the 2016 season. Stewart established a new single-season school record for passing yards in a season (2,973), a total that ranks among the top 10 in PAC history. In a 57-32 homecoming win over Grove City on Sept. 24, Stewart set single-game records for passing yards (442) and touchdown passes (7). The seven touchdown passes is tied for the PAC single-game record. 

The receiving duo of Damon Black Jr. and DJ Oceant-Kelly rank as the top duo in Bearcat history and one of the most productive tandems in PAC history. Black (142) and Oceant-Kelly (116) combined to rack up 258 points during their four-year run with the team, as they ranked second and third, respectively. The 62 points by Oceant-Kelly during the 2016 season ranks as the highest single-season total in modern history. Black holds the career receptions (187) and career receiving yards (2,324) records. Oceant-Kelly ranks second behind Black in each category with 140 receptions and 1,848 receiving yards. The duo combined for 40 receiving touchdowns during their careers. Oceant-Kelly, Black Jr. and Ryan Crawford became the first Bearcat trio to record 100+ receiving yards each in a single game against W&J on Oct. 29, 2016. 

During the 2016 season, Dolciato guided the Bearcats to their first 4-0 start since the 1957 season. 

Saint Vincent set a new single-game record for points in a 65-14 homecoming day win over Thiel at Chuck Noll Field on Oct. 3, 2015. 

Dolciato was named the eighth head football coach in Saint Vincent history on January 10, 2014.
 
Prior to his hiring, he served as the Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. In 2013, the Blue Streaks finished the regular season 9-1, appeared in the NCAA Division III playoffs and finished the season ranked 13th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D3football.com Top 25 polls.
 
As the offensive coordinator at John Carroll, Dolciato produced highly notable results, including an offensive unit that set 59 new team and individual school records, two national offensive records, six conference Player of the Year recipients and an Eastern Regional Championship and NCAA Division III Semifinal appearance.
 
His 2013 offense finished first in the Ohio Athletic Conference and 14th in the nation in passing offense (313.3 yards per game) and led the league and ranked 15th in the country in fourth-down conversions (9-of-14; 64.3 percent). The Blue Streaks were also second in the OAC in red zone offense, converting 51-of-59 (86.4 percent) trips inside the 20-yard line to points.  As a unit, JCU ranked third in the Ohio Athletic Conference with 451.5 yards per game which was 30th in Division III and a new school record.
 
Dolciato was named the 2011 OAC Assistant Coach of the Year after leading an offense that averaged 406.5 yards and more than 30 points per game. In 2002 the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation tabbed him the Assistant Football Coach of the Year.
 
In 2002, he guided an offensive unit that produced program records in total offense (5,139 yards), scoring offense (476 points) and touchdowns (66). In 2010, his offense boasted the best red zone offense in the country in any division of NCAA football with a 97 percent red zone efficiency.
 
Prior to becoming the offensive coordinator, Dolciato served as the JCU running backs coach for nine seasons. During that span, he coached five first team All-OAC backs, three-straight OAC rushing title winners, the all-time leading rusher in program history and the only player to amass 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a career.
 
During Dolciato’s tenure year at JCU, he was on the coaching staff that produced numerous front office NFL personnel including: General Manager Tom Telesco, San Diego Chargers; General Manager David Caldwell, Jacksonville Jaguars; Head of Player Personnel Nick Caserio, New England Patriots. He was also was on the staff that produced NFL coaches Josh McDaniels the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots; Greg Roman the assistant head coach of the Baltimore Ravens; Jerry Schuplinski quarterbacks coach of the New England Patriots; and Frank Ross special teams coach of the Indianapolis Colts. He also coached former pro bowl Linebacker London Fletcher and NFL quarterback Tom Arth.
 
A native of Ohio, Dolciato graduated from John Carroll in 1990 after earning honorable mention All-OAC honors as a defensive tackle his senior season. He also claimed GTA Academic All-American accolades the same year, in which the Blue Streaks claimed the OAC title and berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

He holds a master’s degree in Exercise Science and in 2010 earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Administration and Leadership in Higher Education.
 
Dolciato and his wife, Elana, have three daughters, Sabrina, Francesca and Lily.