An end
to the beginning

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Frank Banas accomplished a lot in the world of football.
Banas began his football career when he was at North Catholic High School, where he graduated in 1949. He went on to star as a defensive back and end at Villanova, where he graduated in 1953.
Then he played football in the Army before trying out for the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was offered a contract and made the team’s taxi squad.
Banas proved he could play with the best of them, but after his days on the gridiron came to an end, that’s when he proved he could be a perfect mentor.
In 1956, Banas was named the first football coach at Cardinal Dougherty High School. He served three years as the Cardinals’ coach and compiled a 12-14-2 record.
Starting a program was a challenge, but according to his players, Banas just had a certain charisma that proved successful when mentoring young men.
"He was a true mentor, not just a coach," said Steve Kiszely, who served as Banas’ first captain at Dougherty. "He wasn’t much older than we were when he became the coach, and he was a great teacher.
"He was very big on preparation. He always told us we play in the games the same way we practice, and he was a very hard worker," Kiszely said. "He was teaching us football, but he always gave us great advice and taught us things that we still use. He was just a great teacher."
On June 30, Banas passed away after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 76.
Banas is survived by his wife Pat and six children, Michael, Mary Lou, Lisa, Frank Jr., Lavena and Jesse.
Banas was known to just about everyone as a football coach.
After leaving Dougherty, he was the football coach at Gloucester High School in New Jersey for 33 years. But no matter how far his teams were going in the playoffs, or how much time he needed to prepare for the big game, he always managed to play the role of perfect father.
"My dad always loved football, but he never bragged or anything like that," said Frank Jr. "To us, he was just dad.
"It’s funny because at the funeral, we saw so many people, either guys he worked with or guys who played for him," Frank Jr. continued. "Everyone has a story about him. He managed to touch, it seems, everyone he came in contact with. Everyone has a story about how he did this or when he said that. It’s always nice to hear those stories."
Kiszely can understand that respect for the ex-coach.
Like most high school football players, Kiszely fell out of contact with Banas after he graduated. But when Dougherty’s first football team planned its 50-year reunion, Kiszely called his old coach.
From that point on, until Banas’ recent death, the two kept in close contact.
That’s why Banas has selected Kiszely to speak at his funeral.
"He was diagnosed with the same cancer Al Angelo had, and they both found out about the same time," Kiszely said of the former Frankford High football coach. "They would meet and discuss things, not just cancer, but they both loved football.
"When I found out (Angelo) died, I called Frank and asked him if he wanted to go to the funeral," Kiszely said. "He didn’t think he was up to going, but we talked for a while and he asked me if I would speak on behalf of his players at his funeral. Of course I didn’t want to hear about that, but it was such an honor to be asked. This was a guy who mentored so many young men, and now grown men with families. I was honored."
Banas had an abundance of love for his family, for football, and for Philadelphia.
Shortly after he took the coaching job at Gloucester, the Banas family moved from Northeast Philly to Deptford, N.J.
That didn’t last very long.
"My mom and dad were city people," Frank Jr. said. "I think they lived there for about a year. I was born over there, but when I was one, we moved back to Philly. My mom loves the city and that’s where we all grew up."
Serving as the founding father of Cardinal Dougherty football and as mentor to young men suited Banas’ personality perfectly, but he also made sure that those close to him always had fun.
"Frank just made you feel good," Kiszely said. "He had a way to make everyone around him feel important and good.
"As I said in the eulogy, as I reflect back over the fifty-two years that I have known Frank, I will always remember my days as a player, but more important, as his friend. I am proud that I can always call him my coach." ••