BRIDGEWATER Mass. -- Bridgewater State University will honor legendary football coach Peter Mazzaferro by naming the turf field at the Edward C. Swenson Athletic Complex in his honor.
The field turf playing surface at the Swenson Complex, which is home to the football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams, will be named Peter Mazzaferro Field in recognition of the Bears’ longtime head coach.
“Coach Pete Mazzaferro is the foundation on which BSU’s football program is built,” said BSU Associate Vice President for Athletics & Student Wellness, Dr. Marybeth Lamb. “He has dedicated his professional life to intercollegiate athletics and the role it has in the development of our student leaders.”
“He has been a supporter of all our student-athletes, male and female and is a strong advocate for them all,” added Dr. Lamb.
The naming of the field in honor of Coach Mazzaferro was due to the efforts of Bridgewater State University President Fred Clark and the BSU Board of Trustees.
“This honor for Coach Mazzaferro is well deserved and long overdue, noted Dr. Lamb. “President Fred Clark saw the need for this honor and made it happen.”
Peter Mazzaferro was the head coach of the Bridgewater State football team for 36 seasons between the years 1968 and 2004. A 1954 graduate of Centre College in Kentucky, Peter was a three-sport athlete for the Colonels competing in football, basketball, and track. Peter began his coaching career at Waynesburg College (1959-62) in Pennsylvania. In 1961, he was named the Pittsburgh Curbstone College Coach of the Years. After spending a year at Curry College (1963), Peter came to Bridgewater State as an assistant to former coach Ed Swenson in 1966. He took over the head coaching responsibilities in 1968 and has continued to be the foundation of the Bears’ football program ever since. During those years, the Bears won or shared New England Football Conference (NEFC) championships in 1969, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. His teams competed in post-season play in 1989 and 1992 (ECAC) and in 1999 and 2000 (NCAA). In 41 years of coaching Division III football, Coach Mazzaferro compiled a career coaching record of 210-159-10 (.567) including a 195-137-7 (.586) mark at Bridgewater.
No game is more synonymous with Peter Mazzaferro than the Cranberry Bowl. In 1979, Peter petitioned the Edaville Railroad to aid in promoting the local rivalry between Bridgewater State and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Edaville donated the original “Cranberry Scoop” which is the trophy give to the winning team each year. Forty-four years later, the Cranberry Bowl still holds a special place in the hearts of the players, coaches, students, administrators and fans of both colleges.
In 1989 and 1999, Peter received the highest coaching honor in New England when he was named the New England Football Writers Coach of the Year for Division II/III. He was also named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Regional Coach of the Year in 1999. In 1996, Peter was awarded the George C. Carens Award for outstanding contributions to college football in New England. In the summer of 1999, he was honored by the All-American Football Foundation with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004 he received the Ron Burton Distinguished American Award from the local chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
Coach Mazzaferro spent 34 years as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Education during his tenure at Bridgewater State. He was inducted into the BSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.
"I am honored and very humbled by this recognition of my days at Bridgewater State," said Mazzaferro. "I am grateful to President Clark, Dr. Lamb and the Board of Trustees for bestowing this honor upon me.”
"I am so grateful for my time at Bridgewater State and all of the student-athletes I was able to coach over the 38 years and all of the people that have been so impactful in my life,” Mazzaferro added.
The official dedication is scheduled for Friday, September 8th in a pregame ceremony before Bridgewater State plays host to WPI at 7:00 PM.
The Bears’ athletic complex was named the Edward C. Swenson Athletic Fields in 1978. The complex includes the turf field, grass playing and practice fields as well as the Alumni Park baseball and softball fields. Alumni Park was added in 1996. The main playing field was fully renovated to field turf, lights, and a new track in 2010 with 1,600 seat bleachers and a storage building. In 2020, the turf was replaced, and the track was resurfaced. The Bear Paw Pavilion (locker room, equipment storage, training room) was also added along with new public restrooms.
Ed Swenson served as the athletic director at Bridgewater State from 1949 to 1977. He was instrumental in bringing football back to Bridgewater State (1960) after an absence of nearly 30 years. Ed was the Bears’ head football coach from 1960 to 1966. In 1965, Bridgewater State was one of three founding charter members of the NEFC. Ed was also an outstanding men’s soccer coach during the 1950’s when the Bears won multiple New England Teachers College Athletic Conference (NETCAC) championships. He also served as the men’s basketball coach for 14 seasons from 1949 to 1963. Ed passed away on December 31, 2001 in Lady Lake, Florida.