Emma Navarro, Jannik Sinner’s new partner, has a grandfather who made history
Frank Frederick Navarro, the grandfather of Emma, Jannik Sinner’s partner at the mixed doubles tournament in Cincinnati, was an accomplished football player, innovative college head coach and passed away on May 30, 2021, at the age of 91.
He left behind a legacy of professional success, reflected in the many accolades he received during his career, as well as in a beloved family.
He left behind a legacy of professional and personal achievements, reflected in the many university awards he received during his career, as well as in a beloved family: wife Jill, seven sons, including Ben, Emma’s father, a daughter, 22 grandchildren, and well over a great-grandchild.
Frank’s nine-decade-long life journey was hardly a foregone conclusion, beginning with his childhood in White Plains, NY. A determined mother, Anna Longo Navarro, raised him and his younger sister Joan Cardinale with limited means. Later, he loved to tell of taking the train to the Bronx and squeezing through the turnstiles along with a paying fan so he could cheer on his beloved Yankees.
A football promise at White Plains High under coach Glenn Loucks and a three-sport athlete, Navarro played on the 1951 undefeated University of Maryland national champion team. That title was crowned under the leadership of Jim Tatum by beating Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 1952.
It was at College Park that he met the love of his life, Jill, to whom he forever attributed much of his future success. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Navarro found his calling in 1955 as a college football coach. He began as an assistant to the legendary Lou Little at Columbia University, an Ivy League member. In 1963 he was called by the prestigious Williams College, where in an 11-year tenure he went from assistant to head coach of the Ephs.
In 1967, his Williams team finished an undefeated season, enhanced by a memorable victory over rival Amherst College. It was on this Western Massachusetts campus that he attracted the attention of Stockbridge resident artist Norman Rockwell. Rockwell portrayed Coach Navarro and his square jaw in the famous work The Recruit.
Back at Columbia University, this time as head coach, Navarro led the 1971 Lions to their first winning season in eight years and was named Eastern College Coach of the Year. After his departure, Columbia had to wait 23 seasons before matching his 1971 team’s six wins.
He then transferred to Wabash College, where in four years he peaked with an 11-win season in 1977, culminating in the national title game. That feat earned him a special place in the history of the institution, which will dedicate its new stadium to “Frank Navarro Field” this fall.
In 1978 he began a seven-year tenure at Princeton University, which included a spectacular 35-31 victory over mighty Yale in 1981.
Navarro concluded his 30-year career on the field in 1985, having influenced the lives of hundreds of young athletes by passing on ambition and character, grounded in the values of hard work, humility and respect. He was a mentor to many, maintaining relationships that lasted a lifetime.
After retirement, he moved permanently to Rhode Island, a special place for the family, filled with memories of nearly 30 summers spent together in a beach community.
He remained connected to New England football as a radio commentator for the University of Massachusetts and the University of Rhode Island.
