Inspired by events in the life of Victor Prinzi, an FSU star quarterback and broadcaster, authors Rosemary Ryan and J.R. Minard’s “Coach In Cottage C” is the evocative story of Matt Grazi, a newly-hired football coach and gym teacher at the Florida state institution, the Colby Hill Reform School for Boys in the 1960’s.
Written with clear, concise prose, the story details the emotional journey of the young coach hired to create a winning football team from among the troubled, incarcerated teenagers. The characters at the school, coaches, administrators and inmates, are compelling and well-drawn.
Matt Grazi’s growing awareness of the difficulties in the lives of the boys on his team, force him to examine his own conscience and motivations in becoming a coach at an institution known for harsh treatment and cruelty. The personal costs of commitment, dedication, and sacrifice are at the emotional center of the story as the rookie coach fights for fairness and justice for his student inmates.
Robert Fisher Jr. is an award-winning film editor, director and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. Most recently he was the lead Editor of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” winner of the Academy Award for best Animated Feature of 2018, receiving an American Cinema Editors Eddy Award for the same film.