Northeast High basketball coach DiFlorio drowns

CHRIS RILEY twice interacted with Bob DiFlorio last Thursday during a teachers' prep day at Northeast High, and the experience was fun,as always.

"We were talking about sports, the usual stuff," said Riley, the school's football coach and athletic director. "One time we talked all the way down a long hallway. Just back and forth about the Eagles, Phillies, everything."

Now, DiFlorio is gone.

DiFlorio, 57, a product of St. Joseph's Prep and Drexel and a longtime head basketball coach at four area schools, going back to the mid-1980s, died Sunday.

Chris Edwards, Bucks County's director of public information, said DiFlorio's body was found in the Churchville Reservoir, floating about 20 yards offshore. His car was right nearby. The coroner's report found no signs of foul play, Edwards said, and the listed cause of death is drowning.

DiFlorio began his head-coaching career in the Catholic League, first at the old St. John Neumann (1986-93 seasons) and then at Conwell-Egan (1994-01). He next steered Morrisville (2002-06), in Bucks County, before assisting Frank Cahill at Father Judge (2007-09). Last season was his second at Northeast, where he taught English.

DiFlorio's record at Northeast was 7-32, and he was 195-379 overall. His CL highlight came in '94, when he led Conwell-Egan to its initial playoff appearance since '64, its first year in the league (then known as Bishop Egan). At Neumann, his '90 squad reached the semifinals.

"He was such a hard worker. And what a good guy," Riley said. "I was so happy when he became our basketball coach. He didn't have a whole lot of talent these last 2 years, but I loved to stop in and watch his practices just to see how he truly taught his players."

Cahill got his X-and-O'ing start, as the freshman team's coach, under DiFlorio at C-E in the mid-90s. Jack Rutter, Bishop McDevitt's longtime coach, also got his start as a freshman boss under DiFlorio (Neumann, late '80s).

"This is like losing a brother for me," Cahill said. "Bob was a great mentor. He affected so many lives as a teacher and coach. A lot of us in coaching owe so much to him."

"Bob was the ultimate Philadelphia basketball junkie," Rutter said. "His family and basketball; I don't think he cared about anything else. Maybe just 2 weeks ago, we had finalized the fact that Northeast was going to be in our Christmas tournament. We were so excited about that."

DiFlorio's immediate survivors include his wife, Susan, and two sons, Christian and Matthew. Christian, a product of Holy Ghost Prep, where he played basketball, is a freshman at Duquesne University. Matthew attends Archbishop Wood, where he plays soccer.

Services will be private.