Sam Marrone
Cornerstone Inductee
Navy Rugby 2003-2023 (Sam Marrone)
“My son Mac, class of 2006, was a good rugby player and played for Navy. Carl (Fulford) and I would watch the games on Hospital Point and talk about rugby: Great game, tailor made for the service academies; ultimate team sport, all 15 players can participate in all phases of the game; Physicality, athleticism, quick decision making throughout the flow of the game. Cal Berkeley was a varsity program and Army was considering varsity status and subsequently did elevate. Why not Navy as one of the top tier varsity college rugby teams; and what could we do to help initiate the process?
Fall 2003: Scheduled a meeting with AD Chet Gladchuk and newly sworn in Supe, Rod Rempt ’66 to state the case for elevating the men’s and women’s rugby programs to varsity under the direction of one individual. We always considered that the men’s and women’s programs should be viewed in the same light. Varsity vs club: a significant difference at Navy with NAAA fully committed. Their (NAAA) proposal: Keep Hospital Point for intramural’s and develop three fields at Greenbury Point: Game pitch, practice pitch and a turf pitch, permanent stands, electronic scoreboard, men’s and women’s locker rooms at the Brigade Sports Complex. Cost- $2M. Better get to work! Thanks to the generosity of A.Jon and Patti Prusmack ’66 , Ernie and Sharon Blake ’64 and a few others we raised the money in about 2 months. I think we SURPRISED Chet and Rod!
2004-2017: The team continued to excel on the field of play. We reorganized the Navy Rugby Alumni Association to focus primarily on fund raising. We were successful in fundraising since the first $2M was really a downpayment on the continual requests for financial support. We continued to lobby anyone who could assist in elevating the status of rugby (primarily the AD and Supe).
2017: Mike Flanagan, 27 years as Navy’s extraordinarily successful coach retires. 2023 inductee to the USA Rugby Hall of Fame. Most deserving and all of Navy rugby very proud- Navy Rugby is a national power. Chet hires Gavin Hickie as Director of Rugby responsible for both men and women. Autum 2021: Chet announces that the rugby programs (men and women) through hard work and dedication as club sports had earned varsity team status beginning in the 2022-23 season. The Superintendent VADM Sean Buck concurred. Spring 2022: Gavin and Chet hire James Willocks Assistant Director of Rugby/Director of Recruiting(native of New Zealand; rugby mecca of the southern hemisphere) Impressive player resume.
2022-23 season: First year Varsity; Record: Undefeated 18-0 Beat Army 3 times and Cal Berkeley twice, second time in Houston for the D-1a National Championship. Women repeat as D-1 Fall Champions. Rugby is in a good place at Navy but can’t rest on its laurels. It won’t look backward with Gavin Hickie at the helm. Onward and upward. Go Navy”
Originally from Frederick, MD, Sam came to the Naval Academy via NAPS as a football recruit. While at NAPS he took up lacrosse and subsequently played on three National Lacrosse Championship Teams during Navy’s “Decade of Dominance” in college lacrosse. Upon graduation Sam was commissioned in the Marine Corps and served as an infantry officer in Viet Nam. After completing service in the Marines, Sam had a thirty year career in the fixed income capital markets industry in various trading, sales, and senior executive positions and retired for good in 2015. Sam’s classmate A. Jon Prusssmack introduced Sam to rugby in the early 1970’s and he played for the Westchester RFC for ten years. His son, Mac Marrone class of 2006, was a four year rugby player at Navy. Sam has been a leader in fund raising for Navy rugby since 2004 and is a member of the NRAA Board of Directors. Sam has been a Trustee for the USNA Foundation Athletic & Scholarship Programs since 2010.