After four years of military service, Szabo held coaching positions with 18 collegiate and professional football teams from 1969 to 2011.
He served as the head football coach at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1987, compiling a record of 15–15–1.
[1][3][4] He played as fullback and defensive back on the same Navy football teams with Roger Staubach.
[5][6][7] After graduating from the Naval Academy, Szabo served four years in the United States Marine Corps.
He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico and served one year in South Vietnam.