Sam DiFilippo

Sam DiFilippo

Sam DiFilippo enters his second season in charge of the men's rugby program entering the 2025-26 academic year. He became Tech's first rugby coach in program history after being hired in February of 2024 to build the program and lead them through their inaugural season in 2025-26.

DiFilippo began his rugby playing career in high school, where in 2004, he was a team captain for Bishop Dwenger when they won a state championship. He played competitively around the Midwest in college but ultimately fell in love with coaching.

DiFilippo became a certified coach in 2005 and, since then, has worked to have a significant impact on the rugby community as a coach and an administrator. As president and assistant coach of the Fort Wayne Men’s Club, he marshaled an undefeated season, including a Midwest Championship and a national fifth-place finish in 2017. As a coach for Bishop Dwenger Rugby, he guided the team to win the JV Super League title in 2021 and a Varsity State Runner-Up finish while being ranked among the top teams in the nation.

DiFilippo holds a bachelor’s degree in Education and Theology from Marian University. He also earned his master’s in Sports Management from Indiana State University. He has a Level 300 Coach Certificate and is a Coach Educator for USA Rugby.