BUTLER TWP — When it comes to running, Rick Davanzati — and his success — never stop.

Since the mid 1970’s, when he was the school-record holder in the 3,200 meters for Butler, Davanzati has been involved in distance running. He ran for Slippery Rock University in the late 70’s and began serving the Golden Tornado as an assistant coach under Chuck Tompkins in 1978.

He also coached under Mike Chuba and Malcolm East at Butler before serving as the school district’s junior high track and field coach from 1990 through 2000.

“I was going to get out of it at that point,” Davanzati said of the 2000 season. “I felt like I needed to spend more time with family.”

What he quickly realized was he had developed his own extended family through his coaching. Davanzati maintains relationships with his runners long after they moved out from under his coaching wing.

So when head coach John Neff asked Davanzati to become his assistant in 2001, he could not refuse ... and the rest is history.

He has been the Tornado’s head cross country and track distance running coach since 2005.

“He has a special bond with his runners — all of his runners,” said Matt Cypher, a 1995 Butler graduate. “If you take the time to run, Rick gave his time to you. He’s such an unassuming and quiet guy, but he resonates with people. He knows how to connect to his athletes.

“He got to know you as an individual. He knows how to connect with athletes as individuals.”

Davanzati described himself as “a shy, intimidated kid who always walked around school with my head down. People thought I was stuck up.

“I wasn’t that way at all. I just shied away from other people. Running did a lot for me. I knew I had some ability there and I built off that.”

Conversely, Davanzati wound up doing a lot for runners.

Between 1961 and 2015, Butler had 11 runners medal at the cross country state meet. The Tornado have had 10 such runners since 2016. Before 2018, Ed Hartman (4:16) was the only Butler runner to ever break 4 minutes, 20 seconds in the 1,600 meters.

Butler’s had five runners do so since: CJ Singleton (4:03), Sage Vavro (4:13) and Drew Griffith (4:16) in 2022, Skyler Vavro (4:13) in 2021 and Noah Beveridge (4:12) in 2018.

At least 14 former Butler cross country runners are currently on college or track and field rosters, including seven at Division 1 schools. Those seven are Beveridge (Syracuse), Brett Brady (Navy), Skyler Vavro (Robert Morris), Sage Vavro (Youngstown State), Ryder Kriley (Syracuse), Brayden Young (Bucknell) and CJ Singleton (Notre Dame).

Chris Singleton, CJ’s father, was also coached by Davanzati and compiled the above lists.

“Dav always helps his runners move on,” CJ Singleton said. “He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to running andhe really cares about every kid on his team.

“He’s always got time to give you individual attention.”

Singleton added that the number of high-caliber distance runners to come through Butler’s program in recent years, during Davanzati’s tenure with the program, “is not coincidental at all.

“Dav knows how to get the most out of every athlete he coaches,” he added.

Cypher is a professor in the School of Business at Georgetown University. He is also coaching his son’s junior high cross country team in Virginia. Darren Mellinger, also coached by Davanzati as a youth, is a prominent attorney in Miami, Fla., today.

Davanzati coached Mellinger in junior high.

“He wanted to be a sprinter then, most junior high runners do,” Davanzati said. “I had all of my runners try at least one distance event. I let them choose which one.

“Darren tried the 1,600 in a meet for us, placed third and scored a point. As a sprinter, he was far down our list. He looked at me after that race and said ‘I’m a distance runner, now.’”

Mellinger said Davanzati “changed my running career completely. Any success I attained later, I owed to him. He gives the same attention and devotion to everyone, whether you’re the fastest runner on the team or the last guy on the roster.”

Mellinger referred to Davanzati as a master motivator and credits his coaching tactics for getting so many runners to advance to the collegiate level.

“This sport isn’t like baseball, football, basketball, where you can aspire to a career,” he said. “You’re out there every day, training and running by yourself. People run cross country because they love it. Rick Davanzati makes you love it.”

Brady won the Patriot League championship in the steeplechase last season. He also made the All-Patriot League team in cross country. Beveridge has been an All-ACC runner at Syracuse.

“Noah Beveridge got things started in terms of this latest crop of runners. He raised the bar in terms of preparation. He got the ball rolling that way,” Davanzati said.

Other former Butler distance runners now competing in college include Tim Patterson (St. Vincent), Aden Dressler (Washington & Jefferson), Autumn Pettinato (Clarion), Chelsey Kabel (Clarion). Jen Cichra (Slippery Riock), Isaac Busler (Grove City) and Raine Gratzmiller (Washington & Jefferson).

“When Brett Brady won the steeplechase, I texted him, congratulated him,” Davanzati said. “I do that with all of these runners. I admire them. They are part of my family. That’s how I feel about them.

“What they do as runners is great,” he added, choking back tears. “But I’m more proud of the people they become. I’ve got a good record at Butler, but there’s some luck in that and that's the quality of kids I’ve had the privilege to coach.”

Cypher takes that assessment a step farther.

“Get that man into the school’s Hall of Fame,” he said. “That honor is long overdue.”