Long Island native to guide Dragons in 1st ENTFLA season
(Uniondale, NY, Tuesday, March 25, 2025)
The New York Dragons of the Entertainment Football Association have named Gerald Filardi Head Coach and Director of Football Operations for the 2025 season. A name synonymous with football on Long Island, Filardi has been the Varsity Head Coach at Half Hollow Hills West High School in Dix Hills since 2019. This past season he led the Colts to a 9-2 overall record in Suffolk County Division III including 7-1 in the regular season.
“I am thrilled and deeply honored to accept the position of Head Coach and Director of Football Operations of the New York Dragons,” said Filardi. “This organization has a proud history and a passionate fan base that deserves a team that plays with heart, discipline and innovation.”
Filardi is committed to growing football on Long Island and the Huntington native’s resume speaks for itself.
In 2012, he founded the Long Island Spartans, Long Island’s first travel football team and followed that up in 2013 with the formation of Long Island Elite Football, the region’s first travel elite youth football program.
And now, he enters the world of professional football with the goal of bringing a championship to Long Island.
“The New York Dragons are thrilled to welcome Gerald as the man who will lead us onto the field for our inaugural ENTFLA season,” said Dragons General Manager Peter Schwartz. “He checked all the boxes for us in our search for a Head Coach. Gerald is a proven leader and winner who is driven to grow football on Long Island at all levels. He shares our vision of building a championship roster loaded with Long Island and area talent. We welcome the entire Filardi family into our organization including Gerald’s wife Kim and his sons Gerald Jr., Jack and Joseph.”
Filardi played linebacker at Penn State and was part of four bowl games with the Nittany Lions including the Fiesta Bowl and the 1994 Rose Bowl that capped off a 12-0 season and a national championship. He finished his high school playing career as Walt Whitman High School’s all-time leading tackler with 346. After college, Filardi went on to play professionally for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds.
But it’s his love of football on Long Island that really tells the story about Filardi. He has made a significant impact on the game in both Nassau and Suffolk County. He will now begin the process of building a roster that will make the entire community proud.
He wants the Dragons to be a team that will be embraced by all of Long Island.
“My vision is to have a team comprised of Long Island and New York players to build a dynamic, high-scoring offense that electrifies the arena while developing a defense that strikes with precision and power,” said Filardi.
Under Filardi’s guidance, the Dragons will start to take shape in the coming weeks.
The team will soon be announcing details about open tryouts. Training camp will begin in May with the 2025 season commencing on June 7th in
Danbury against the Diesel. The Dragon’s home opener will be on Saturday June 14th against the New Jersey Ciphers at Nassau Coliseum.
Filardi is one of the most recognizable names when it comes to football on Long Island and he brings instant credibility to the league in a market that is rich in indoor football history.
“I am excited to welcome Coach Filardi to the ENTFLA family,” said league Founder and Owner Douglas Freeman. “He embodies everything that you would look for in a head coach in terms of character, leadership, success on the field, and his love for football on Long Island.”
The original New York Dragons competed in the Arena Football League from 2001 to 2008. They made the playoffs in five of their eight years of existence and won three consecutive Eastern Division Titles from 2003 to 2005. 17 years after they played their final AFL game, the Dragons are back in a new league and the goal is to finish the story…to win a championship and raise a banner to the rafters of the Coliseum.
“Under my leadership, we will breathe fire into this team,” said Filardi. “I promise to pour everything I have into making this a championship contender and a source of pride for Long Island and New York.”
2025 New York Dragons season and group tickets are now on sale. Individual tickets will go on sale in May. For more information and to place a deposit on season tickets, please visit www.nydragonsfootball.com.
