Mentor football coach Steve Trivisonno confirms 2019 season will be his last

MENTOR, OH (WOIO) - Mentor High School head football coach Steve Trivisonno announced plans on Wednesday to step down after his 23rd season of leading the Cardinals.

Before he called “Coach Triv,” Trivisonno earned three varsity letters as football player himself for Mentor High School.

Trivisonno reversed roles on the gridiron by becoming an assistant coach in 1988 before taking the lead as head coach in 1997, building the program into what it is today.

In his 22 seasons at the helm, Coach Trivisonno led the Cards to 196 wins, 18 playoff appearance seasons, four regional championships, five final four appearances, and four state runners-up titles.

Coach Trivisonno also earned Coach of the Year accolades numerous times.

While announcing his pending retirement from the head coach position for the Mentor Cards, Coach Trivisonno said:

“This is not an easy decision to find the ‘right time’ to go - I’ve spent a lot of time saying I don’t want to stay too long and I don’t want to leave too early. Throughout the years, I’ve worked with such great kids and parents and the coaching staff - it has been an honor to watch our players grow and to see what they are able to accomplish as they venture out into the real-world. We’ll finish strong and then it’s time for me to move on - but I will always be a supporter of Mentor Football and the students we’ve helped shape along the way.”

Mentor Public Schools said it’s not just about what happens on the field that makes Coach Trivisonno so special to the Cardinal community:

“He has a very strong commitment to community and spends a lot of time teaching his student athletes the importance of giving back to the neighbors who support them through the opportunities provided in Mentor Schools. He has served as an excellent role-model, far exceeding the expectations of what it means to be a good coach.”

Mentor Schools Superintendent Bill Porter also praised the longtime coach and community icon:

“We’ve always been able to count on Coach Trivisonno to run the football program in a way which makes you feel proud - and he has been able to make a tremendous impact on the lives of hundreds of student-athletes during his coaching career. While Coach Triv will certainly be missed, the many lessons - about attitude, gratitude, hard work, dedication, determination and more - he’s shared with not only his athletes, but all of us, will last a lifetime.”

Coach Trivisonno’s wife, Pam, and their two daughters, Tori and Kari, are also Mentor High School alumni.

Aside from coaching students on the field, Coach Triv also coached Cardinals in the classroom as teacher for over 30 years before retiring in 2015.

Tori and Kari followed in their father’s footsteps by becoming teachers at Mentor Schools themselves.

Kari relocated, but Tori still teaches within the district.

The process of naming a head coach replacement will commence after the 2019 football season, according to the district.

Mentor Schools wishes Coach Triv and the Cardinals the best of luck for the 2019 season.

“Once a Card, always a Card.”

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