Growing up in Methuen, like most Merrimack Valley guys, Rob Niceforo thought he knew Lawrence.
That was until he met Bob Fitzgerald Jr.
“Fitzy” introduced Niceforo to his Lawrence when the latter was just an eighth-grader.
“He would pick us up and take us to any gym he could find for us to work out,” said Niceforo of his former legendary coach, mentor and friend Fitzgerald, who passed away this week at the age of 61.
There was no Smitty’s Barn back then, no Hamma Shack. To wrestle, you had to be a tad creative back in the day.
“There was a gym behind the Essex projects, another behind the Hancock projects, and basically he knew ways into every grammar school in the city,” said Niceforo. “Any place that had mats for us to work out on, he got us there.”
That was Fitzy. In the late 1980s, he was the coach of the Lawrence Housing Authority wrestling program. Fresh out of Boston College, a life devoted to young athletes and wrestlers in the Merrimack Valley began.
Niceforo, now the Lawrence High varsity wrestling coach, learned almost immediately just who Fitzy was, especially when it came to his wrestlers.
“He always wanted to get the best out of me,” remembered Niceforo, who remained close with Fitzgerald his entire adult life. “He was always supportive, trying to make me the best person and wrestler I could be.
“You could see the love he had for kids. He had so much drive. He was someone you could talk to any time, not just a coach, a mentor and good friend. For so many young kids, he was always there.”
Fitzgerald went on to build the Methuen High wrestling program into a monster.
Hall of Famers. Champions. Championship teams. and championship people.
There was no denying Fitzgerald’s impact on Ranger Road.
Former Methuen matman Brendon C. Medugno delivered an amazing tribute post to the late Fitzgerald on Facebook.
“Fitzy imparted lessons that have resonated throughout my life and continue to echo as I guide my athletes. He had this uncanny ability to connect, to offer guidance on any matter, make a lasting mark on my life,” writes Medugno, who had brought Fitzy on staff to work with his athletes at the Haus of Athletes.
He called him a “cornerstone” of their program.
“His wisdom and mentorship reached far beyond me, touching the lives of countless youths in our community and beyond. He possessed a brilliant mind, always there to lend an ear and offer invaluable advice.”
Fitzgerald’s father, Robert Sr., was an all-time great at Lawrence High, later naming the field at Veterans Stadium after him.
Like dad, the son left a legacy that will certainly live on.
“He had a big heart. You could see it right away,” said Niceforo. “He would do anything, take his shirt off his back for you. It’s just very sad. I’m still trying to process it … I can’t believe he’s gone.”