The new tight-ends coach at St. Dominic Savio High School in East Boston, Mass., is a walk-on. But his name is familiar: MARK BAVARO.

Bavaro was known as enigmatic and almost-reclusive in his career with the Giants, which was cut short after last season because of a degenerative knee condition.

"He doesn't talk about the knee. That's personal with him and we don't get into it," said Coach BILL MARADEI."But he's a great guy to talk to. He's open and jokes with the kids."

Maradei wound up with Bavaro simply because the coach took a chance and wrote a letter.

"He's an East Boston guy," Maradei said. "We found out Mark was coming back to live here. I wrote him a little note and asked if he could help us out. I knew about the kind of guy he was and his strong sense of values, which are the same we have at the school."

So Bavaro, unpaid, turns out for offensive practice on Thursday, and often spends three days a week coaching. He also gets to many of the games.

"Mark Bavaro, tight-end coach, a hell of a find for us, huh?" Maradei said.