Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

Buff Fanella sandwiched a stellar playing career at Indiana State Teachers College and a long and successful career as an educator and coach around a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps that included participation in one of the most famous military actions in the countries history.

Fanella was one of only two freshman starters on the 1941 ISTC football team, playing the full 60 minutes in an era before platoon football. He was also a member of the school's wrestling and boxing teams before entering the service with the Marine Corps in 1943.

After completing boot camp, Fanella was a drill instructor at Parris Island and then served with the 3rd Marine Division in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. In February and March 1945 he participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima along with the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and helped capture the strategically important island from the Japanese.

His unit returned to Guam to begin training for the invasion of Japan, an action that was avoided when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

Fanella returned home and to ISTC in 1946 and was a student assistant football coach while completing his degree. He later earned a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

From 1948 to 1955, Fanella was a history teacher while assisting with the football and basketball teams at Portage High School. He moved on to Laura Lamar (now Homer-Center) High School in 1955 and became head football coach three years later. His team won the Western Conference championship in 1962, and Fanella was named Indiana County Coach of the Year.

He later coached the freshman football team at IUP from 1969 to 1971 and served as the postmaster in Indiana. He remains active in the area as a committee member for the Indiana County Democratic Party.

Fanella and his wife, Zita, are the parents of daughters Rebecca and Patti.