FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Tony Caviglia’s 27 years at Fresno City College went by like the snap of a finger.
His first head coaching job with the Rams would also be his last.
“I didn’t take this job thinking I would be here for over two decades,” he said. “I really wanted to see if I had the where with all to be a head football coach.”
The idea was for Fresno City to just be a pit stop in his coaching journey, but the Valley became his destination.
Caviglia has led the Rams to 24 postseason appearances, 14 conference titles and is the longest serving and winningest coach in FCC history.
For his final run, he tells this 2025 team it’s business as usual.
“You’re going to get it all,” he said. “Every ounce of effort I’ve got to get this season finished on a high note, to play as well as we possibly can, get in the postseason and help all these sophomores who want to transfer get out. I’m committed to doing that.”
The unique part about a job as a junior college coach — you actually want your players to leave for another school.
That was Caviglia’s favorite part of the gig.
“At this level, it’s pure football,” he said. “The kids get a couple of shirts, a pair of shorts and maybe a Friday night meal. It’s a lot different than any other level. At this level, we have to recruit them in and we have to help them get out. That’s the beauty of the position.”
To four-year schools and beyond, Caviglia laid the foundation for guys like Cam Worrell, Zach Diles, Matt Giordano and so many more to flourish.
“It’s hard to visualize Fresno City without Coach C being there,” Diles said. “He’s always just given me advice to this day, believing in me and seeing something in me that I didn’t see in myself. If you go in there, you work hard and you grind, Coach C is going to love you up.”
NFL stars who shone on the biggest stage, but grew into their potential rooted in hard work in the richest ag land in the country.
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