John DiSangro, a Temple basketball fixture and Phillies TV ace, dies at 60

John DiSangro, a trusted confidant of John Chaney as a longtime member of his Temple University basketball staff who later became a behind-the-scenes ace of the Phillies TV broadcast, died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in Fairless Hills. He was 60.

Mr. DiSangro grew up in Tacony and went to Temple to study journalism before landing a gig as a student manager for Chaney. He worked with the Owls for more than 20 seasons, doing everything from booking flights and finding opponents’ game tape to picking up doughnuts before the team’s 5:30 a.m. practices. He was inducted in 2017 into the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor.

Mr. DiSangro left Temple after Chaney retired in 2006 and became an associate producer for Phillies games on what was then known as Comcast SportsNet. Mr. DiSangro did whatever task was needed, just like he did for Chaney.

“He was the guy who, when you needed something done, he was the guy who got it done,” said Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy.

Mr. DiSangro grew up in a rowhouse on Ditman Street as one of John and Rose Mary DiSangro’s four children. His father was a schoolteacher and his mother worked at the Frankford Arsenal before staying home to raise the kids. Mr. DiSangro always loved sports. He really did not have a choice.

“When we were kids, the older guys would sit you on the step and ask you questions,” said his brother, Steve. “If you didn’t get them right, they’d whack you with a Wiffle ball bat. So you always learned how to be a good sports guy.”

He kept the stats for Lincoln High’s football team before graduating in 1983. A family friend set Mr. DiSangro up with an interview with Chaney after he arrived at Temple. Mr. DiSangro wore a Penn State football jersey to meet the legendary basketball coach. He still got the job. DiSangro became such an essential part of Temple’s operation that Chaney created a “director of basketball operations” position to keep him with the program after graduation.

“Chaney took John under his wing,” Steve DiSangro said. “He was like a son to him. Their relationship was incredible. John could do no wrong.”

Mr. DiSangro was with the Owls for 17 trips to the NCAA Tournament and five trips to the Elite Eight. For Mr. DiSangro, the Owls were everything.

He stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts on his way to early morning practices to place an order for every coach and player. He arranged tickets for family and alumni, made sure each player had the proper gear, and made sure their hotels on the road had TNT so Chaney could watch the NBA.

Mr. DiSangro’s father cooked broccoli raab and made red wine for the coaches. He led the team in prayer before meals — always asking God to “help us continue our winning ways” if they were winning or “help us get back to our winning ways” if they were reeling — and even checked Chaney’s lottery tickets.

“Coach would buy hundreds when the lottery got big,” said Dan Leibovitz, a longtime Chaney assistant who is now the senior associate commissioner for Big East basketball. “It would be on computer paper with all the numbers printed out. Practice would be over and John would be in the office going over the numbers. ‘Coach, you won.’ ‘What did I win, John?’ ‘Eight dollars and 27 cents.’ ‘Keep looking, John.’”

“I can say without a doubt — and Coach Chaney would agree with me — Coach would not be in the Hall of Fame without John. He took every single detail that every coach has to worry about outside of coaching and took care of it. You couldn’t name something in the program that John didn’t touch. He was the ultimate grinder. There’s probably staffs now that have eight people doing what John did by himself.”

Temple president Peter Liacouras tried to hire Mr. DiSangro away from Chaney but the coach blocked it. He wasn’t losing his guy. Mr. DiSangro balanced his Temple work with a part-time job at Prism, working behind the scenes for Phillies games and other broadcasts.

“If you were to ask me who was the hardest-working, most loyal, best at their job at any role, it’s an easy answer,” said Drew Golin, who worked as a team manager under Mr. DiSangro. “It’s John DiSangro. Like many others, he changed my life. If anyone ever says I’ve ever done anything good, it’s because of his influence and impact.”

Comcast SportsNet launched in 1997 and Jon Slobotkin wanted to hire Mr. DiSangro as an associate producer. He agreed to the job, knowing he would have to leave his Temple post. Mr. DiSangro just asked if he could finish the season. Sure, Slobotkin said. The Owls were bounced in the first round by West Virginia and Slobotkin called Mr. DiSangro to see when he would start. Two weeks, he said. Opening day was near and Slobotkin called again. Mr. DiSangro apologized. He could not leave.

“I said, “What do you mean?’ He said, ‘I went to Coach, told him I was leaving, and he said, ‘You can’t,’” Slobotkin said. “I said ‘Well, it’s not up to Coach. It’s up to you.’ He said, ‘Well, it is, but it’s not. I love Coach and I just can’t leave him. He told me I can’t. So I can’t do it.’ I said, ‘John, this has been in the works for months. The season starts next month.’ He said, ‘Slo, I’m sorry. I just can’t do that to Coach.’”

Slobotkin reminded Mr. DiSangro that Marc Jackson left Temple the previous season for the NBA. If Chaney could let him leave, he should do the same for Mr. DiSangro.

“DiSangro said, ‘I said that to Coach,’” Slobotkin said. “And I said, ‘Well, what did he say?’ ‘Coach said I can get another Marc Jackson.’ With that, I was like all right, I get it.”

Mr. DiSangro finally moved full-time to TV. He sat in the production booth outside the ballpark, traveled wherever the Phillies were playing, and was responsible for every graphic shown on the screen. He was speaking to Harry Kalas through a headset moments before Kalas died in the booth before a game in 2009. It was Mr. DiSangro’s job every night to “Stump The Fans” with trivia as he asked the questions like the kids with the Wiffle ball bats. Mr. DiSangro earned a World Series ring in 2008. Not bad for a kid from Tacony, his brother said.

The viewers see the players and broadcasters every night, but there’s people like Mr. DiSangro who make it happen without ever making the screen.

“In a rock band, the bass player is the one who keeps the time but no one really knows who he is,” Slobotkin said. “John was the bass player. Whatever role John filled, and he filled many over the many years he did this, he always did it quietly and efficiently. He was one of those people who oftentimes you didn’t notice, but he always got it done. He was dependable and reliable.”

Mr. DiSangro was known as “Sang,” the guy who had not been to the movies since Rocky was released and always came to work on time. He complimented his co-workers even if the telecast struggled and always said “God bless you” when someone sneezed. His work ethic was unmatched and his timing was keen. The same traits that made Chaney keep Mr. DiSangro at Temple is what made “Sang” such an essential part of the Phillies telecasts. He had two careers in Philadelphia sports and both were a success.

“He knew everyone in the sports market and everyone in the media,” said Jeff Halikman, a longtime Phillies producer. “And he knew every coach. If a guy coached a 10-and-under travel team, he would call them ‘Coach.’ Everyone who coached one game ever in their life, he called them ‘Coach.’ We would walk into the dining room at the ballpark and he would walk by people: ‘Hey, Coach.’ ‘Hey, Coach.’ Like they had that title forever in his mind. That’s the kind of person he was. He had respect for everyone.”

Mr. DiSangro is survived by longtime girlfriend Daryl Ehrhart; her children Kristin and John (Jennifer) and grandchildren Kristin, Jason, Jordan, Jade, Rhys, and Declan. He was the loving brother of Steve (Linda), Gina (John), and Mary (Roy) and uncle to Rocco, Lucas, John, and Christopher. A viewing will be held at James J. Dougherty Funeral Home in Levittown on Wednesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. A service will begin at 11 a.m.