San Fillipo was born in
Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby
Belleville. He attended
Belleville High School and
Montclair State and played football for both. He graduated from Montclair State in 1964. Following his graduation, he served two seasons as an assistant football coach before being hired as the head football coach for
Abraham Clark High School in 1966. In 1968, he shifted to
backfield coach. In 1969, he shifted again to
defensive backs coach, then again in the following year to
defensive line. In 1971, he was promoted to
defensive coordinator. In 1972, he was hired as the head football and baseball coach alongside being named assistant
athletic director for the then
Newark State. a position he held for 28 years until his retirement in 2003. A resident of
Cedar Grove, New Jersey, and
Bay Head, New Jersey, San Fillipo died on November 12, 2024. ==Head coaching record==