New Faculty Coaches- Dante Brito

Hanna Jennings ’24 Assistant Sports Editor Eli Ratner ’24 Assistant Sports Editor

Varsity Football Coach Dante Brito has been an athlete his whole life. Attending Hamden Hall, he was a four-year Varsity athlete in both Basketball and Football.

While there, Brito was selected to the all-league Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) basketball team his sophomore and junior years and to the all-league FAA football team his junior and senior season. After high school, Brito received a scholarship to play football at Stonehill College. “My college career was plagued with injury, which gave me a greater appreciation for the game and the positive impact it had on me. As a way to remain engaged, I started to spend time with my coaches as they prepared for games and practice, giving me the passion for coaching,” he explained.

After college, Brito started his formal coaching career at a boarding school where he was the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator for the football program and a Varsity Basketball and Track and Field coach. After a few years, Brito decided to come to Hopkins. He initially wanted to work at Hopkins a year earlier in the hopes of coaching with his best friend and cousin Jordan Sebastian’11, the defensive coordinator of the Hopkins football team until his passing in 2017.

However, Brito did not get the job. The year after, he was offered Sebastian’s job, but it was mainly due to Sebastian’s passing. “It was not an easy decision for me [on whether to accept the job or not] , if I am being honest. I did not want to be 'Jordans replacement' or for people to constantly be comparing us since I would be doing many of the same things he did. I also wanted this to be his place; this is where he went to high school, and came back to work. I did not want that to be lost. Then I realized that regardless of whether I was to take the job or not, he would be replaced; and who better to make sure his legacy is remembered and continued." One of Brito's immediate goals for the football team was to win the MIFL (Metropolitan Independent Football League) championship, which he accomplished with this year’s team. Additionally, Brito said that he wants his players to leave the program better than when they entered it: “Football is a great game, but it is temporary; I want the impact of football to be everlasting and in a positive way.”

In his first few years coaching at Hopkins, Brito has proved to have a positive influence on Hopkins athletics as well as those who he has coached. Football Captain Ben Jenkins ’22 said, “Coach Brito has shown me that effort is the most important factor when trying to achieve a goal.” Senior Football player Will Blumenthal ’22 stated “Coach Brito has pushed me to become my best self both on and off the football field. He’s taught me many life lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. He inspires me to work hard in everything I do and to ‘not flinch.’ I’m so grateful to have had him as a coach and it was a pleasure to play for him.” Connor Tomasulo ’24 stated, “He’s a really good coach and he’s really good at motivating the team. He’s really intense, but it’s out of love.” Tomasulo explained how Brito advised him outside of football: “He gave me advice for when I was applying to Pathfinder, and he has always been really encouraging.” Tomasulo summarized, “He is passionate about the sport of football, but he’s also passionate about us as people.”

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New Faculty Coaches- Dante Brito