Elk Grove grad Savino takes reins at Glenbrook North

A baseball dugout or a football sideline are two of the best places to be for Dominic Savino.

"Coaching is something I've always wanted to do," said Savino, a Daily Herald All-Area baseball player at Elk Grove in 1994. "For me it ends up being my hobby because I love coaching baseball and football.

"I don't fish, I don't hunt and I don't golf. To get to coach 365 days a year is perfect for me."

And Savino, who also played baseball for two years for Norm Garrett at Harper College, turned out to be the perfect fit for Glenbrook North's baseball program.

Savino was named as the Spartans' new varsity head coach Friday. He replaces Barry Ruppert, who stepped down after 15 seasons to spend more time with his family.

Savino had been a varsity assistant at Notre Dame the past four years. He coached seven years of baseball at all levels at Niles North, where he will continue to teach math and be a varsity football assistant.

"It's been a very exciting 24 hours for me," Savino said. "This is something I've always had a desire to do and when the opportunity came up in a community like Northbrook and a school like Glenbrook North, it was a situation I really wanted to pursue.

"For me it starts with the game of baseball - I've always had a very strong passion for the game of baseball. It would be very tough to continue on not being involved in the game of baseball."

Playing at Elk Grove for Jim Schurr, who is now at Libertyville, helped fuel Savino's desire to become a teacher and coach.

And Savino believes his experience of coaching baseball and football at all levels prepared him for this opportunity.

"I have an idea how to build an athletic program inside and out and from the bottom up," Savino said, "so it will be a very cohesive four years for our student-athletes."

Savino will also be reunited with best friend Mike Nisi, a 1995 Elk Grove graduate who has been in the Glenbrook North baseball program the last nine years. Nisi and Savino were the best man in each other's wedding.

Buffalo Grove graduates Matt Izenstark and Tim Drevline have also been on the Spartans' staff. They were 19-12 last year and won four Central Suburban North titles and three regional titles during Ruppert's tenure.

"Barry Ruppert did a great job with the program and they had a lot of success over the years there," said Savino, whose wife gave birth to their first child, Michael, seven weeks ago. "I feel very fortunate taking over a program that's had a lot of success and has expectations of having a lot of success."