Dennis Moran, who spent 15 seasons on the sidelines as head football coach for Nazareth Academy, is getting the field named for him.

The field will be named Dennis Moran Field during a ceremony before Nazareth’s homecoming game Friday night against St. Rita.

“Honestly, I was shocked,” Moran, 68, said about the honor. “There are so many other people deserving of this name recognition. It was the last thing I expected going to Mass that day.”

“We had an alumni gathering and a Mass of recognition. Nazareth was celebrating 125 years of education. Eight of us got an award that day,” he said.

Then, Nazareth Academy President Deb Tracy made the announcement.

“It almost brought me to tears,” Moran said.

Moran has made many contributions to Nazareth in his 43 years there, but the biggest may be the hiring of Tim Racki as head football coach.

Racki coached the Roadrunners to a third straight state title last season. He’s won six state titles at the school, including 2014, 2015 and 2018, and 10 in his storied career.

After coaching the 2004 season, Moran was promoted to president of Nazareth. He asked that he be allowed to find the next football coach. He also served as the school’s athletic director for years.

He had met Racki when the latter was at Driscoll, before he became a very successful head football at the Addison school.

“He and I connected. After I was named the president, he and I sat down at breakfast. He agreed that after the school year, he would come to Nazareth and be the head football coach,” Moran recalled.

That was after Driscoll’s fourth straight state championship. Now Racki is in his 21st season coaching Nazareth, gunning for another four-peat.

Moran is delighted to have a long connection with the La Grange Park high school.

“This is the first year Nazareth has three generations of Morans. I’m in charge of buildings and grounds, [son] Casey is the math department chair and offensive coordinator and [grandson] Oscar is a freshman,” Moran said.

Oscar plays football for Nazareth.

Football, of course, is near and dear to Moran’s heart. He attends every game, home and away.

Moran coached 15 seasons, taking nine teams to the playoffs, according to the IHSA.

He noted that the first two years after he stopped coaching, “I couldn’t even walk onto the field.”

“It’s something I truly loved to do. When I was asked to be the president of Nazareth, I wanted to keep coaching. I talked with my wife and my father, we felt this was the best move for me and for the future of Nazareth.”

His colleagues agree.

“It’s impossible to conceive of Nazareth Academy as it stands today without acknowledging the involvement and dedication of Dennis Moran,” Tracy said in a statement.

Moran, formerly of Brookfield and La Grange, now resides in Westchester.

He has served in no fewer than 12 roles during his tenure at Nazareth, including teacher, coach, dean of students, president, athletic director and now director of buildings and grounds.

He graduated from Catholic grammar school, high school and university. It stands to reason he’s been working in a Catholic high school ever since.

“Giving back to others. I’ve learned from great women, the Sisters [of St. Joseph] and my coworkers at Nazareth,” Moran said. “Giving back to others is how I live my life and that’s what we’re doing at Naz.”

Nazareth was an all-girls school back in the day. Moran is a graduate of the former St. Joe’s in Westchester.

“Another special thing [here] is the number of kids who come back and work for us, in the faculty and coaching. We probably have six guys on our coaching staff now who are graduates,” Moran said.

Moran and his wife have been married for 43 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.