Image courtesy of Tufts Athletics

Over the last four years, Belmont Hill head coach Anthony Fucillo brought not just respectability, but winning back to the Sextants’ program.

After a down year in 2025 following a 2024 NEPSAC Bowl victory, now, BH will need to find a new leader as Fucillo stepped down from his position officially on Friday, posting a lengthy, heartfelt thank you to the Belmont Hill community before announcing he’s returning to his alma mater Tufts, as an assistant.

On Saturday morning, we caught up with Fucillo to discuss the decision and how it came about.

“It was probably the hardest professional decision I’ve made,” Fucillo said. That includes a departure from Harvard to take the Belmont Hill job years ago too. “That includes leaving college football. I just think…the relationships built with the kids here and a lot of the people at Belmont Hill and the community, they really welcomed me with open arms and I appreciate that. It was definitely hard.

“The Tufts thing was not like, something that had been brewing for a while. It’s something I thought about for a long time because I went there and I’ve always wanted to possibly coach there. The timing was just the right time.”

Fucillo made sure the team found out in a face-to-face team meeting before he went public on social media.

“I wanted to make sure I told them face-to-face and that obviously was not easy,” Fucillo explained. “I think most of the kids are very appreciative of the time spent together and what we’ve accomplished. It’s never easy when a coach leaves and I respect that and understand that, but Belmont Hill is a great place. Whoever comes in next is going to do a great job too.

Speaking of who is coming in next, does Fucillo want his opinion to be taken into consideration? Does he have any ideas on who should take over?

“I think our AD (George Tahan) does a great job and I think he has a very good understanding of like, where this crazy wold of prep school football is going right now,” he said. “I think they understand, I’ve got to assume they bring in, maybe someone similar to me? I don’t know. But, I do know obviously, you don’t want to risk a guy leaving after three years again and that’s kind of been the last two guys here.

“They’ll find somebody and I think they want to win there, which is always good.”

As far as what it means to Fucillo to have the opportunity to coach at Tufts, the words ‘dream come true’ get thrown around a lot, but this certainly is one of those moments.

“It means a lot,” he added. “It’s been since 2010 that I played there and it’s something that’s been on my mind, Coach Civetti has done a great job making the program what it is right now. I think it’s really exciting to go back and coach at the place I played. It’ll be very interesting…I wanted to be at a place, getting back into college football…I think – in my opinion – high-academic places are some of the best to coach, because kids are there for not just football.

“The landscape is crazy and everything is all over the place. To me, I just needed a bridge back into college football and Coach Civetti and I have been friends and he’s been a great mentor to me and offered me an opportunity. I’m excited to run with it.”

As for the new goals Fucillo has for his alma mater, it really just comes down to one thing: winning.

“I want to be part of a championship culture,” said Fucillo. “That’s something that…I think it’s like 1986 since Tufts won a NESCAC Championship, so it’s been a long time. Don’t confirm me on that, but it’s been a while. So, I think there’s some unfinished business there as a former player that I’d love to go in there and you know, I think as an assistant, you can’t make too much of a splash, but to do my job well and do what’s expected of me and beyond.

“Hopefully, build some great relationships as well.”