Football: What we know about the St. Joseph coaching search, Dan Marangi's new gig
After football coach Augie Hoffmann left St. Joseph in 2020, it took 10 days for assistant Dan Marangi to be promoted to take over.
As of Monday, more than a month has passed since Marangi “stepped down” from the head job. A new coach has yet to be named, but there sure have been rumors.
The tragic death of former Green Knights offensive lineman Rocco Rodden definitely delayed the search and that's totally understandable.
High school football coaches in North Jersey don’t have agents feeding news and scoops to reporters in order to get their clients more publicity (and more money) for various jobs. But from multiple sources I've talked to over the last two weeks, it seems like Hoffmann is the leading candidate to return to St. Joe’s, and it could be done as early as Monday.
There may be some on the search committee who still have hard feelings about Hoffmann leaving the school in 2020. Even though Hoffmann was successful as the Green Knights coach and became recognizable and synonymous with the school, he did leave, first for Rutgers and then last season for Columbia University.
Whoever takes over the St. Joe's job is inheriting one of the most successful programs in North Jersey, but it's gotten tougher to win big. The Green Knights won a lot of titles in Non-Public Group 3, and didn’t have to face Bergen Catholic or Don Bosco each year to do so. Now they do. Throw in the fact that Delbarton and Seton Hall Prep have also become legit contenders.
I have to be careful with what I say next, because I was told there were six serious candidates for the job. Many I listed in our potential candidates story when Marangi left. The message from the St. Joe’s administration, from an email I got last week, was to stay patient.
“We are working through the interview process with a dedicated committee of key stakeholders,” read the email from athletic director Reggie St. Rose to me last week.
Dan Marangi lands at Indian Hills
In the meantime, Marangi has already found a new position as head coach at Indian Hills, pending approval of the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education on Monday night.
Marangi won 24 games in four years leading St. Joseph, but his best team in 2020 − featuring Notre Dame star running back Audric Estime − never got to play for a state championship because of COVID.
Marangi will takes over an Indian Hills program that plays in the Ivy Division of the Super Football Conference, a long way away from the North Jersey non-public powerhouses. The Braves just had their first winning season since 2015 under Dom Mulieri, and you’d be right for wondering why Indian Hills would let Mulieri go so quickly when the program seemed to be on the upswing.
A public school with an opening, like Waldwick/Midland Park, Hasbrouck Heights or Pompton Lakes, would be smart to give Mulieri a look.
Ramapo and Indian Hills have a unique arrangement in which kids from any of the district's three towns − Oakland, Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes − can choose which school to attend. Obviously, a lot of good football players have chosen Ramapo over the years, but can Marangi bring those talented players to Indian Hills now?
Change coming to Don Bosco?
Then there’s Don Bosco. For some reason, even though the St. Joe’s job is the one that’s open, people want to speculate about Dan Sabella and Don Bosco.
From all my conversations with Sabella, he has no interest in leaving Don Bosco. None. Zero. Please stop asking.
Why would he? It’s one of the premier jobs in the nation. The Ironmen have a brand. They schedule tough. They produce legitimate college and, now, NFL starters. For years, I’ve heard about “yeah, but the public school pension plan.” Those are just people trying to undermine Sabella.
Don Bosco is also the only New Jersey program to beat Bergen Catholic in the last four years. Sabella has guided the Ironmen to the state finals in three of the last five years. But they haven't won one, and that bothers Don Bosco fans/alumni who were used to printing state title banners every year a decade ago. It bothers Sabella too. Trust me. He’s 100 percent committed to the program.
Even though the season ended on the field a few weeks ago, North Jersey football season never ends.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: St. Joseph Montvale NJ football coaching search - what we know
