Bergen Catholic football coach embraces what's hard and stays honest to values | Cooper

ORADELL − Vito Campanile says it’s hard. Somehow, he keeps making it look easy.

Last week was quite a week for North Jersey non-public football coaches past and present.

On Friday morning, St. Joseph football coach Dan Marangi “stepped down” after winning 24 games in four years with the Green Knights. Later Friday, former Paramus Catholic coach Chris Partridge was fired by Michigan as part of the fallout of the school's sign-stealing saga. On Sunday, former Bergen Catholic coach Nunzio Campanile was named the interim head coach at Syracuse.

Meanwhile, Vito, the oldest of the four Campanile coaching brothers, has guided Bergen Catholic back to the Non-Public A state championship game for the third straight year. If the Crusaders beat Delbarton on Nov. 28, they will finish No. 1 in New Jersey again.

Is this year's Bergen Catholic team one of North Jersey's greatest ever? Probably not. The Crusaders are sloppy at times, capable of brilliance in one quarter and scuffling the next. But the landscape of New Jersey high school football has changed so much in the last 10 years that it’s time to recognize that what Vito has done is as good as any other run by a North Jersey dynasty.

In 2023, there aren’t just three or four superpowers. There might be 10. Delbarton is legitimately good. Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic are getting better. St. Joseph is in Non-Public A now – remember a lot of their state titles came at a lower level.

No one can stash players on the bench anymore because of the transfer portal. If you can’t commit to making a kid the starting quarterback or starting running back, well, they'll go somewhere else. So you better make the right choice.

Throw in entitled parents, alumni who just want more, and administrators who don’t get it, and Vito right. It is hard.

“I think it’s awesome that the playing field has leveled out,” he said after the Crusaders' 42-13 win over Donovan Catholic. “But I think people need to understand that this is a real, real hard gig. Just to think that you’ll show up and win because you have a certain jersey on, that doesn’t exist anymore.”

Vito called the demands on his role an “ever-evolving level of adversity,” which is a great way to say sometimes his job stinks.

He has had some adversity this season, a health scare a few weeks ago and a bad back that won’t settle down. Even he recognizes some of his behavior is extreme. He said he was on campus before 5 a.m. a few days last week, but he doesn’t sleep in his office or much at all

Postgame at Bergen Catholic after victories is quite a scene. There’s the alma mater mob with the players and students. The parents always end up on the field and everyone listens in on what Vito’s postgame speech is all about. He has to know everything he says is being analyzed.

Then after talking to the Crusaders, Vito can barely do interviews with the media because so many people want to give him a hug – or he wants to give out a hug.

“He’s the one who has taught me the importance of having these young men be the best versions of themselves,” Bergen Catholic president Dr. Brian Mahoney said.

“Vito lives his life completely in service to others,” said DePaul coach Nick Campanile, who has obviously known Vito his entire life. “He always puts other people first. And it’s very clear with him what’s most important. No. 1, his children and his family. And No. 2 are the players he coaches. That’s why they love him and that’s why they play hard for him. He’s honestly the best person I know.”

Vito heard the news about Marangi and said he was disappointed. He understands, he really does, but he doesn’t like it.

“I don’t think people understand how hard it is to repetitively do this,” Vito said. “It’s all-consuming and I think every one of us lives our lives with our hearts on our sleeves. I know how much I put into this and I know how much he puts into it. I beyond feel for him, because we have been friends for 25 years and I don’t appreciate when people don’t understand.”

Vito believes that college football has now become the pros. This high level of high school football has become like the SEC, but he vows to stick to his principles.

“I will always be a high school football coach and I will always put relationships before success,” he said. “I feel like I coach my team hard. I don’t think many people still do, but I think there is a level of trust. I trust that when we walk back up there [to meet as a team] they understand that I look them in the eye and tell them the truth. I am not saying other people don’t do that, I’m just saying that it’s become harder and not everyone wants that.”

The job as a big-time non-public football coach is all-consuming. Sure, if Bergen Catholic beats Delbarton next Tuesday, Vito will celebrate, and he’ll be truly thrilled if his brother and DePaul win as well, but there isn’t a lot of time to relax. Vito has to find colleges for kids, and he has to start working on next year.

“It really is like a college job because you are talking to kids about coming here and talking to families,” Vito said. “But it’s not like college where a kid – contrary to what a lot of people think – you’re not giving out scholarships, you have to invest in a school and that’s hard. There’s a lot of pieces to this puzzle.”

Mahoney talks about how Vito understands that the school’s success and the football program’s success are in lockstep and how Vito has prioritized that message to the Bergen Catholic community.

“Vito stops by our tailgate and shares with parents and alumni and friends of Bergen Catholic how wonderful this school is,” Mahoney said. “He talks about his care and commitment and love for his players and at the same time, he makes sure they follow their moral compass. We want our young men to be gentlemen and he carries that message in such a professional way.”

We will see if the North Jersey coaching carousel is done this fall or not. But right now, it all turns on Vito. With his success, would he ever want to jump to college? He clearly knows some people with good connections.

“A lot of people have asked me that, I think this is what I am made to do, and I think I am made to do it here,” he said. “The one thing about this place is the leadership and the people you work for appreciate it at a different level. I think I am meant to do this.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Catholic NJ football coach Vito Campanile stays true