Morris/Sussex football carousel revs up with seven new head coaches this fall

The slow drip of football coaching openings has turned into a waterfall at Morris and Sussex county high schools. There will be seven new head coaches this fall, a mix of rookies and familiar faces in new places.

The game of musical chairs began when Morris Knolls veteran Bill Regan announced his retirement after 49 years at the helm. Bryan Gallagher, a Golden Eagles alumnus, moved from Boonton to take that job.

To fill their coaching vacancy, the Bombers brought Sean Norton home from Hopatcong after two seasons. About the same time, longtime Parsippany Hills coach Dave Albano announced he'd be going up Route 10 to Randolph.

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Former Hopatcong assistant Mark Certo gets his shot at the top job there, made official by the Board of Education on Feb. 26.

The newest addition to the head coaching circle is Jim Hamill at Wallkill Valley. The Rangers head track and field coach was formally approved by the Board of Education last Tuesday, and made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, the next afternoon.

The Parsippany Hills position is the only one still open, with plenty of applications for new athletic director Claire Herman to evaluate.

Add in Bill Percey's elevation from assistant to head coach at High Point in late November, and that's the most moves in recent memory – just in these two counties.

Certo brings consistency to Hopatcong

Mark Certo has been around the Hopatcong football program for decades. He coached many of the rising sophomores and juniors in the youth program, including his sons, Michael and Lucas.

A 53-year-old dad of five, Certo made clear that he's here for the long haul.

"All the upheaval and all the turnover, that's what motivated me to apply for the job," he said. "I wanted to keep some consistency that Sean (Norton) had started, and the positive turnaround."

More: Boonton brings Sean Norton home to lead football program and follow family tradition

Hopatcong spent the last two seasons in the SFC Ivy Red, but has shifted to the National Blue – which sets up a game against former coach Norton and Boonton in Week 3. Created for teams with low turnout, the Ivy forced the Group 1 Chiefs to go up against much larger schools.

Certo was proud of Hopatcong's four victories last fall, and said the team was "two two-point conversions away from a winning record." The Chiefs lost at Teaneck, 8-7, and they lost their NJSIAA crossover finale, 22-21, at Tenafly – both Group 4 schools.

Certo plans to bring in the Wing-T with his son, Michael, moving from fullback to quarterback. Hopatcong alumnus Austin Brown is staying on as defensive coordinator, as is longtime assistant – and former Chiefs head coach – Gary Andolena.

"When we go back to mostly Group 1 schools, we should be competitive again," Certo said. "That's what I want to see and what I want to coach: being competitive, always fighting, being technically sound, knowing your assignments and knowing your technique. As long as we do that stuff, the rest of it will take care of itself."

At Randolph, new opportunity for veteran coach

Dave Albano has been at Parsippany Hills for 24 years, living so close he can walk to school. He'll still be teaching there in the fall, but after classes end, Albano will be driving Route 10 West to Randolph.

The 57-year-old already has gotten a head start, meeting the players two weeks ago before moving on to the Randolph Bulldogs youth program and booster club. Albano is also in the process of rebuilding the coaching staff, most of whom have been with him for much of his time at Parsippany Hills.

"It's a big puzzle, and we're starting a new one at this point, putting all the pieces in place to get to work," he said.

After the first back-to-back sub-.500 seasons in Albano's tenure in 2021 and 2022, the Vikings went unbeaten in the SFC Liberty Blue and finished 7-3 last fall. The Vikings won North 2, Group 3 in 2014 and 2019.

Randolph, meanwhile, has a long tradition of football success, including seven sectional championships. After the program's first title in 1983, the Rams enjoyed a run of five consecutive titles from 1986 through 1990. They won 59 consecutive games during that run, then a New Jersey record.

Albano and offensive coordinator Brian Francis plan to bring their pro-style offense to Randolph. Longtime defensive coordinator Ross Tarlowe chose not to make the move.

"Growing up in the '80s, Randolph football was the mecca of public schools," Albano said. "To have the opportunity to go for this job, I couldn't pass it up."

More: Morris County’s longest serving head coach retires, opening new era for Morris Knolls

Going home to Wallkill Valley

Jim Hamill had a busy weekend. On Saturday, he met with the Wallkill Valley football team. Early Sunday morning, he was at Ocean Breeze on Staten Island for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

The longtime track and field coach is blending his new role as head football coach with life as a new dad. His first baby, Colin Michael, was born on Feb. 6. The next day, he heard Bobby Leach had stepped down as the Rangers' football coach.

Hamill was defensive coordinator at Wayne Valley last fall but had been looking for "a change of scenery," he said.

"It felt different. I felt very disconnected from Wallkill, because I'd been there my whole coaching life," said Hamill, who teaches phys ed, health and driver's ed at Wallkill Valley. "It didn't sit right not being around for football season."

Hamill's father and older male relatives played for Regan at Morris Knolls. He grew up in Byram, and played running back, linebacker and safety for another legendary coach: Lenape Valley's Don Smolyn.

After a year of learning from longtime Wayne Valley coach Roger Kotlarz, Hamill felt ready to take his shot at the top job back home. Dan Rosanelli, the former offensive coordinator at Pope John and Bayley-Ellard, will take that role with the Rangers.

"The biggest thing right now is to develop a culture," said Hamill, who has one year left in a Seton Hall University online program to become a school counselor. "That culture's going to set how everything goes: how we practice; how we train in the offseason; when things happen in games, how we're going to respond. That's something we've done a great job building in our track program, which has helped us be successful the past 10 years."

Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.

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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ football: New coaches at Randolph Hopatcong Wallkill Valley