Point Pleasant Borough football coaching legend Al Saner dies

Al Saner, who built the Point Pleasant Borough High School football program into a Shore Conference power in the 1960’s and 70’s, died Wednesday, Brick Township Superintendent of Schools and long-time close friend Tom Farrell said Thursday on behalf of the Saner family. He was 92.

Saner, for whom Point Borough’s football field is named for, coached the Panthers to a 161-98-9 record during 29 seasons over two different tenures from the early 1960’s to the early 1990’s. The two tenures were broken up by a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Kean University.

Point Borough had a then-Shore Conference-record 34-game winning streak from 1966-70, won consecutive NJSIAA South Group 2 championships in 1977-78 and 10 Shore Conference divisional titles under Saner. The sectional titles were the first two of the four sectional titles Point Borough has won.

Point Borough was known for punishing rushing attacks under Saner.

“When I think the word of the coach, I think of Al Saner because of his positive outlook,’’ Farrell said. “He was always positive and optimistic. When I think of faith, I think of Al Saner. He was a devout Catholic and he would remind me of my own faith. Coach Saner always told me about all the good things I had in my life.’’

A close friend to so many

Known for his gruff demeanor on the outside when he was Point Borough’ head coach, Saner was a close friend to so many because of how much he cared for others, Farrell said.

“He was my life coach,’’ Farrell, who had Saner as one of his assistant coaches for five seasons when he was the head coach at New Egypt High School in Plumsted Township, said. “We would talk every morning on my way to work  and the first thing he would always ask me, ‘How are you doing?. I talked to him more than my wife and kids, to be honest.

“He meant everything to me. He was a second father to me. He made me a better person because of his faith and optimism. He had love for everybody – his wife, Marie, his boys, his grandkids, his step kids - and he was not afraid to say it. He told me he loved me on every phone call. He always said, ‘Love you kid’. ‘’

Farrell said Saner’s advice helped save his life when he had heart issues when he was Shore Regional’s Superintendent of Schools.

“He (Saner) made the doctor’s appointment for me,’’ Farrell, who eventually underwent heart surgery, said.

He played for 2 legendary coaches.

Saner played scholastic football at Memorial High School in West New York for two of the legendary coaches in the history of New Jersey scholastic football. The late Joe Coviello was Memorial’s head coach and the late Warren Wolf was Coviello’s assistant.

Wolf, who was Brick Township’s first head coach from 1958-2008 and then Lakewood’s head coach in 2010, is New Jersey’s second all-time winningest coach with 364

Saner and Wolf maintained a close friendship until Wolf died in November, 2019. It was with Wolf’s help and recommendation that Saner became Point Borough’s head coach in 1962.

Dennis Toddings, who was a center on Wolf’s first three teams at Brick and later became a successful head coach at St. Joseph of Toms River, now Donovan Catholic, was also a close friend of Saner’s

Saner retired as Point Borough’s head coach after the 1992 season and then eventually made a successful second career as an assistant coach at several schools.

In addition to his stint as an assistant coach at New Egypt, Saner was an assistant coach at Freehold Borough, Neptune and St. John Vianney under head coach Mark Ciccoltelli and Brick Township under head coach Len Zdanowicz.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ football: Al Saner, Point Borough coaching legend, dies