CARM COZZA
Yale football coach emeritus
Interviewed on October 27, 2004
Interview (15 mins)
Carm Cozza learned golf at Yale when he arrived in 1963. He recalls that the clubhouse was a “log cabin” with “no watering.” At the time, Al Wilson was the ‘pro’, Harry Meusel the groundskeeper, and Widdy Neale was the manager. Carm carried own bag and found it a “challenge.” He averaged 24 rounds per season (i.e. May-August, before football season). He also brought many guests from worlds of entertainment and sports such as Johnny Mathus, Robert Goulet, Glen Campbell, Rich Little, Andy Williams, Otto Graham, Jim Kott, and John Pont. He has enjoyed rounds with his former players, including John Spagnola, Dick Jauron, Chuck Mercene, Ron Darling, and Rich Diana. He still feels that the best player he has ever played with is Bill Lee.
Carm scored his first hole-in-one in 1965 while playing the fifth hole with Al Wilson. He scored his second in 2004 on the ninth hole while playing with George Crowley, Ken Mackenzie and John Godley. Carm also played in many celebrity tournaments around the country, but he says that he never found a course better than Yale. When he retired from football coaching he took his first and last golf lesson—from Peter Pulaski. Now Carm plays once a week here at Yale and twice a week during the winter in Florida.