Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2011
- Class:
- 1947
A veteran of the US Army in World War II who received two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars, Al Rinaldi found himself in Richmond recovering from war wounds in June 1945. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a scholarship to play football and basketball at the University of Richmond. He played just one football season - 1946 - when the Spiders went 6-2-2 in the Southern Conference, including UR victories over Virginia and Maryland. On the hardwood, he was a four-year starter. In the 1947 Southern Conference Tournament at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, he scored 16 points against North Carolina. He also participated on the track team in the long jump and was the Sports Editor of the school's yearbook, The Web, during his senior year.
Following his playing career at Richmond, Rinaldi spent five years as an assistant basketball coach to Hall of Famer Les Hooker, and at the same time became the head football coach at Highland Springs High School, where he would enjoy unprecedented success. His 29-year career high school football coaching record is 191-76, with seven unbeaten seasons and a state championship during two stints at Highland Springs, plus eight years in New Jersey and three seasons at nearby J.R. Tucker High School. In addition, he taught classes in Government. He didn't leave the game even after he stopped coaching, becoming a radio analyst for 15 years of high school football broadcasts in Richmond from 1992-2007.
Rinaldi was inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame in 1992. He was a member of the first class of inductees on the Highland Springs High School Wall of Fame in 1995. Mr. Rinaldi passed away April 20, 2016 at the age of 90.
