RAIDERS’ ‘BO’ RETIRES, WINDS UP 37-YEAR CAREER
As a three-sport athlete at Xavier University in Cincinnati some 40 years ago, Pius Gabriel “Bo” Litzinger was as concerned about lettering in football, basketball and baseball as he was about worldwide turmoil.
World War II had its sobering effects on Litzinger, just as it did on every person from Washington D.C. to Berlin.
After being graduated with a business administration degree, Litzinger joined the Air Force in 1942. He was stationed, for the most part, in Miami, but he did spend time in a small England community 40 miles north of London with the Eighth Air Force.
He was discharged near Orlando, but wife Sally was still in Miami. He returned in 1945, and after only three weeks was hired by the late Monsignor John J. O’Looney as basketball coach and athletic director at St. Anthony’s Catholic School in Fort Lauderdale.
That was the beginning of a 37-year career.
Yesterday afternoon, as St. Thomas Aquinas High School students ended another semester, Litzinger officially ended a career.
The 65-year old mentor stepped down as the school’s athletic director -- a position taken over by 10-year football coach George Smith -- but left behind more memories than a family photo album.
“It will be no different,” he said in his traditionally calm voice. “Whether I’ll miss it or not I don’t know. You’ll have to ask me that question in September.”
Litzinger -- known as Bo since he brother tagged him with the nickname at 6 years old -- started all of the athletic programs at St. Anthony’s in the mid-to-late 1940s.
At that time, there were only three public schools in Broward County -- South Broward, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach.
In 1946 Litzinger started football and baseball programs at the school, which supported students in grades 1-12. In 1952, students in the upper four grades were moved to Central Catholic School, then it was changed in 1962 to St. Thomas Aquinas.
“In 1945, which I first took the job, I coached, had the athletic director job and I even drove a bus. We used to do everything back then.
“Everything was new, and there wasn’t much you could compare it with. Every year things improved, the schools changed and new facilities were built. I even coached some pretty talented teams.”
Three of Litzinger’s best memories revolved around his basketball-coaching days. Even though he never took a team to a state championship, he came close.
“I guess coaching three exceptional teams had to be a highlight for me. I had three really exceptional teams, the 1947 club and the ones in 1953 and 1962. The 1962 team went to state, but lost in the semis.
“Another memory was being a part of the very first football game played at Lockhart Stadium. That night, in front of more than 11,000 people (the seating capacity was only 10,000, he added) we ended up winning by 6-0.”
Whether the school was called Central Catholic or St. Thomas Aquinas, the nickname for the sports teams was always Raiders.
“The students voted for that name,” Litzinger said.
Litzinger coached boys basketball for 26 years. He also coached girls basketball, baseball and football. Often, he used the services of volunteer assistants -- at least at the beginning.
“There are athletes I miss, and I know I will miss the coaching staff I’ve worked with,” he said. “You can’t spend that much time in something without missing it a little.
“I won’t miss the nights away from home -- you can ask my wife, she’ll tell you.”
For most of Bo and Sally’s marriage, many of the nights were spent either at St. Thomas or on the road watching or coaching in games.
There have been exceptional athletes who played for Litzinger.
Bill Zloch played football for Litzinger at St. Thomas. He went on to lead the 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a 9-1 season as a quarterback.
Then there was Brian Piccolo, who went from high school stardom to collegiate honors at Wake Forest where he was the nation’s leading ground gainer as a senior. Piccolo, before his death -- as portrayed in the movie Brian’s Song -- played pro ball with the Chicago Bears.
“There were others, many others,” Litzinger said. “Every year I watched the kids. Every year there were new stars. It was always different.”
Litzinger said he plans to continue spending time at St. Thomas.
“I’ll probably come by every now and then,” he said about visiting the coaching office at the school. “It figure I’ll be working about four days a week from now on.
“One day I’ll play golf, one day I’ll fish and then for two days I’ll cut my lawn -- the front one day and the back the next,” he said, smiling with every word.
On his days off -- the days he visits Smith and the other Raider coaches -- Litzinger will bring with him 37 years worth of memories.
Fort Lauderdale News-Sun Sentinel, June 10, 1982
