Nunzio Campanile finally holds 1st college coordinator job as UConn’s OC
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Vito Campanile couldn’t reach his brother. He wasn’t answering his phone calls, and they barely had time to talk since it was football season.
It was like his brother was president of the United States. No, not even that. It was like his brother’s identity had been wiped.
“I thought he was in the witness protection program,” Vito joked. “I couldn’t get him on the phone. I’d have an easier time getting the president.”
No, Nunzio Campanile was not in the witness protection program. He’d only been promoted to Rutgers’ interim head coach position. Four games into the 2019 season, the Scarlet Knights fired head coach Chris Ash and offensive coordinator John McNulty, forcing Nunzio to call plays and run the team.
Nunzio said he quickly built relationships, especially with defensive players, and often locked himself in his office to solidify weekly game plans. Vito’s calls went unanswered as a result.
Nunzio returned to his previous assistant role after the season. But that was just one small taste of being a college coordinator. He was Don Bosco Prep’s (New Jersey) offensive coordinator from 2000-09 and Bergen Catholic High School’s (New Jersey) head coach for the next eight years before becoming an interim at Rutgers in 2019 and 2022. Then he joined Syracuse from 2023-25, where he coached both tight ends and quarterbacks and filled in as head coach after Dino Babers was fired in 2023.
As much as Nunzio enjoyed his time at SU, he had bigger aspirations. So, when asked to be UConn’s offensive coordinator this offseason, his first full-time college coordinator job, he took it. Now, Nunzio and the Huskies (2-2, Independent) face Syracuse (1-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) Saturday for the first time since his departure.
“Everybody understood it was an opportunity to be a coordinator in a real up-and-coming program,” Nunzio said. “You’ve got to make the right move for yourself and your family at that time.”
UConn’s first-year head coach Jason Candle first contacted Nunzio in December 2025. Nunzio said they shared similar principles, like molding schemes around players, not the other way around.
He then ran his move by Fran Brown, SU’s head coach, who he’d also worked with at Rutgers. Nunzio told Brown after the 2025 season he’d only leave Syracuse for a head coach or coordinator position.
Brown quickly supported his eventual decision.
“I said, ‘Go do it. That’s what’s up. I’m happy for you,’” Brown said Monday. “He’s my guy.”
With Nunzio’s self-described “aggressive” playcalling, UConn’s been a mixed bag this season. The Huskies dominated Lafayette and Southern Miss 56-7 and 48-20 but also fell to Maryland and Miami (Ohio). Saturday’s matchup is crucial for both sides, particularly Syracuse, which has lost two straight and is on track to miss a bowl game.
For that reason, Brown and SU quarterback Steve Angeli are more focused on beating UConn. Once that’s handled, they’ll chop it up with Nunzio postgame.
“It’s just the nature of the game,” Angeli said of Nunzio’s move. “This day and age in college football, coaching staffs turn over all the time. (I’m) just excited for the matchup.”
Former SU assistant Nunzio Campanile (right) walks with quarterback Steve Angeli (middle) during a 70-7 loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 22, 2025. He’ll face Syracuse Saturday as UConn’s offensive coordinator. Jacob Halsema | Daily Orange File Photo
Nunzio’s first playcalling gig came at Don Bosco in 2000. Head coach Greg Toal — who Vito heralded as “the most legendary coach in New Jersey history” — trusted 23-year-old Nunzio to lead an already successful offense.
Toal allowed Nunzio to change the unit from its typical run-heavy, “smash mouth” identity to a spread offense, Vito said, highlighting the passing game.
A spread offense is commonplace these days, but 26 years ago, it revolutionized high school football. As a result, the Ironmen lost as many games as they won state championships (six) across Nunzio’s decade-long tenure.
“His prints are all over that,” Vito said. “It really was a pretty incredible time to watch the development of that program at Don Bosco.”
After finding success at Bergen Catholic, winning just under 70% of his games in eight years, Nunzio arrived at Rutgers in 2018. He said he “wore many hats” there, starting as running backs coach before moving to tight ends a year later. That lasted four games before his aforementioned eight-game interim reign. He even became the Scarlet Knights’ quarterbacks coach in 2022 before jumping to interim offensive coordinator.
Nunzio described his five years at Rutgers as “transformational” because he had to learn to coach numerous positions at an elite level.
He gained the most from those eight games in 2019. Nunzio reimagined the entire offense once quarterback McLane Carter got hurt and another, Artur Sitkowski, entered the portal midseason.
Redshirt freshman Johnny Langan, who had no college experience, remained. Nunzio — who’d coached Langan at Bergen Catholic — used Langan’s legs in power reads, molding plays around his ability.
Rutgers went just 1-7 under Nunzio but stayed competitive against powerhouses Penn State and Ohio State. Vito said the buy-in from the players was always there, a credit to Nunzio’s coaching style.
“On top of trying to run the team, I was working as the head coach and the offensive coordinator, and it was just a monumental task,” Nunzio said. “We were pretty bunkered down.
“I pretty much slept in my office for two and a half months.”
After moving to Syracuse, Nunzio was thrust back into a head coaching role just 11 games into his tenure. Things went haywire once Garrett Shrader injured his shoulder, snowballing into Babers’ dismissal with one regular-season game left.
Everybody understood it was an opportunity to be a coordinator in a real up-and-coming program.Nunzio Campanile, UConn offensive coordinator
SU was 5-6. Vito said Nunzio’s mind turned to keeping the team together just enough to push for a bowl berth. And he did, beating Wake Forest to advance to the Boca Raton Bowl against South Florida.
Nunzio said he wasn’t thinking about being SU’s long-term head coach. None of the staff knew if they’d even return.
Of course, the Orange got shellacked 45-0 by USF after trying wildcat formations and redshirt freshman quarterback Braden Davis under center. Nunzio described it as the only football game he’d ever entered that he thought would be a “tough task.”
In 2024, he became SU’s quarterbacks coach, helping Kyle McCord to an ACC-record 4,779 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns. Then, before Angeli tore his Achilles last season, he was on pace to challenge McCord’s marks.
Now, Nunzio’s on the other side.
Saturday’s game doesn’t carry much extra weight for him because of his SU connection. There isn’t any “bulletin board material,” as Vito put it. Nunzio said any thoughts that he’s playing his former team will be swept aside at kickoff.
He appreciates his three years in orange, but he’s finally the guy leading UConn’s offense. No interim. No changing titles midway through the year.
Nunzio isn’t going anywhere.
