BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Former head football coach and LIU Post Athletics Hall of Fame member Dominick Anile has passed away, the LIU Post department of athletics announced Feb. 28.
Anile was known throughout the football community as one of the winningest coaches in Division II, and also as one of the top executives in the National Football League.
A true Pioneer to the LIU Post football program, Anile was one of the team's inaugural captains during the 1957 season and carried that title during the 1958 season as well. After graduation, he joined the football coaching staff in 1961 as the team's offensive coordinator under Joe Scanella and eventually took over the reins of the program in 1968. As head coach, Anile compiled an 84-34-1 record, owning the fourth-best winning percentage in the nation at the time of his departure.
Shortly after departing the university, Anile began his NFL career as a scout for the Cleveland Browns in 1983 where he spent 10 seasons. In 1994, he joined the Carolina Panthers during its first season and helped the team reach the National Football Conference Championship game in its second season.
After Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian took over in Indianapolis, he hired Anile to be
Anile (left), pictured with former head coach Tony Dungy (center) and Polian (right).
Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Star.
his right-hand man and to help bolster a roster that featured that season's number one overall draft pick, Peyton Manning. Anile helped the Colts foster some of their strongest draft classes in the organization's history over the next few seasons and went on to defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
"Dom Anile was a huge part of our success with the Colts," said former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. "He was Bill Polian's right-hand man for a long time and trusted confidant, and he played a big role in bringing a lot of great players to the Colts. Dom was an extremely nice man and very supportive of me. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Anile served as the director of football operations for six years (1998-2003) before being promoted to assistant general manager and eventually ended his career as a player personnel consultant with the Colts.
Polian was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2015, and during his acceptance speech he personally named three individuals, Anile being one.