Santella was a part-time assistant coach for the Warriors in both 1998 and 1999, working with the offensive line under then offensive coordinator Jim Pry. He was a student coach in 1994 in charge of the tight ends.

After receiving his bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 1994, he joined the coaching staff at Lehigh University where he worked three years. He assisted with the offensive line in 1995. He then coached the tight ends in 1996 and the running backs in 1997.

The 1995 team won the Patriot League championship. One of his 1997 backs, Rabih Abdullah is now in the National Football League as a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Last season, Santella was the tight ends coach for a University of Pennsylvania team which finished with a 7-3 record and won the Ivy League championship. The Quakers had the number one passing offense in the nation at the NCAA Divi sion 1-AA level.

Santella grew up in Bethlehem and attended Freedom High School where he played football, basketball and baseball. He later coached football at Freedom in 1992 and 1993.

He filled the full-time ESU coaching position left vacant by the departure of Pry, who became the quarterbacks coach at Duke University in late winter.

University of Pennsylvania, 2000, Tight Ends Coach
East Stroudsburg University, 1999-1998, Assistant Offensive Line Coach; 1994, Student Coach
Lehigh University, 1997, Running Back Coach; 1996, Tight Ends Coach; 1995, Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Freedom High School, 1992-1993, Assistant Coach