Danny Maciocia

Early life

Maciocia grew up in the Saint-Leonard neighbourhood of suburban Montreal, and also spent part of his youth in San Francisco. He played football in high school. He graduated from Laurier Macdonald High School in 1984.

Coaching career

A professional coaching career began for Maciocia in 1993 when he took a job as an assistant coach with the Canadian junior national football team. In 1995, he moved into the ranks of the CJFL as offensive coordinator of the St. Leonard Cougars, who won the championship of the league in Maciocia's first year. In 1998, Maciocia entered the CFL as the running backs coach of the Montreal Alouettes. In 2001, he became offensive coordinator in Montreal, then took the same position in Edmonton the following season.

Maciocia was also the head coach of the 2004 edition of the Canadian junior football team for the eighth NFL Global Junior Championship.

Maciocia was appointed as head coach of the Eskimos after the firing of former coach Tom Higgins following 2004 CFL season. Maciocia became the first Quebec-born head coach in CFL history and the first Canadian head coach of the Eskimos since Annis Stukus in 1951. In 2005, Maciocia guided the Eskimos to a championship victory in the 93rd Grey Cup, the thirteenth in franchise history.

The 2006 season was not successful for Maciocia and the Eskimos. The team missed the play-offs for the first time in 35 years, ending a record streak for consecutive post-season appearances among North American professional sports teams. Rumours abounded of Maciocia being on the hotseat after the 2006 campaign, but during the off-season he was surprisingly given a promotion. In addition to coach, Maciocia became director of football operations. As a result, he has a high degree control over decisions on player personnel. Despite Maciocia taking more control, the Eskimos finished with an even worse record in 2007 and once again missed the play-offs. He resigned as head coach while continuing on as head of football operations following the end of the 2008 CFL season, where the Eskimos managed to make the playoffs with a 10–8 record, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Semi-Final, and lost the East Final against the Montreal Alouettes. On July 31, 2010, Maciocia was fired by the Eskimos after the first win in a 1-4 start to the 2010 season.

He served as a volunteer coach for Andre-Grasset College for the 2010 season helping them to a Quebec junior college (CEGEP) championship. He was later named head coach of the Montreal Carabins football team of the Université de Montréal on November 17, 2010.

In the 2014, as the Carabins won the 50th Vanier Cup. On their way there, they defeated the Laval Rouge et Or to win their first Dunsmore Cup, the Manitoba Bisons in the Uteck Bowl and then the McMaster Marauders in the Vanier Cup final. In the 2015, the Carabins once again returned to the national title game with Maciocia at the helm, only to be defeated this time by the UBC T-Birds, 16-13.

Danny Maciocia was briefly considered a candidate for the Montreal Alouettes vacant General Manager position in December 2016, following the mutual termination of Jim Popp's contract.

Personal life

Maciocia is married to Sandra Vaz. He also has three daughters Bianca (1999), Juliana ( 2004), and Alessia ( 2008) . He speaks fluent English, French, and Italian.