Bruno set to supervise activities at Marlboro Began his coaching career at Manalapan

Bruno set to supervise activities at Marlboro
Began his coaching
career at Manalapan


MARIE ORTIZ Bill Bruno is set to take over as the new supervisor of extracurricular activities at Marlboro High School. MARIE ORTIZ Bill Bruno is set to take over as the new supervisor of extracurricular activities at Marlboro High School.

Bill Bruno’s professional career has come full circle. Marlboro High School’s new supervisor of extracurricular activities (replacing Rich Allen who is the new vice principal at Manalapan High School) began his teaching/coaching career in the Freehold District 22 years ago at Manalapan.

"I’m excited about being here," said Bruno, who was confirmed at the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education’s August meeting. "I’m back in the area again. I feel very comfortable here. This is a good school district.

"I look at my job as building on to what Rich has developed here at Marlboro and keeping the positive reputation that Marlboro has in the Shore," he added. "I’m looking forward to meeting the coaches and club moderators."

It was Bruno’s familiarity with the Freehold District that made the Marlboro position attractive to him.

He has many roots in the district which will help him make the transition from head coach to supervisor of all school activities.

For instance, when he was the assistant football coach at Manalapan, Jim Roe, who is now the supervisor of extracurricular activities at Freehold Township, was the head coach. Bruno’s brother, Pete Bruno, is the supervisor at Manalapan.

"Dinner at the Bruno household on Thanksgiving won’t be the same," he said humorously about the fact that he and his brother are supervising schools that just happen to be rivals.

Bruno coached the boys’ track and field team at Manalapan with the highwater mark being 1981 when Tom Fischer won the All-Group state championship at 3,000 meters.

From Manalapan, Bruno moved to Christian Brothers Academy and then Asbury Park before settling at Pinelands where he has been the last 11 years.

He was the head coach of the football and boys’ track and field teams, enjoying championship success in both sports.

Being a supervisor of extracurricular activities at Marlboro is an extension of coaching, according to Bruno. It won’t be hands-on like a head coach, but he’ll still be working with the school’s coaches.

"It’s a natural career move," Bruno pointed out. "I’ve accomplished quite a bit in coaching and this is another phase of my career and coaching. I was looking for a new challenge and this was an opportunity for me to do that.

"My teaching and coaching experiences have prepared me for this," he added. "I was the history club moderator at Pinelands and arranged bus trips for the club. That’s another aspect of this position."

Having coached high school sports for 22 years, Bruno knows it won’t be easy stepping away, even though he’ll still be very involved, albeit in a different capacity, with athletics.

"I know I’ll miss coaching," Bruno explained. "It’s going to be different for me. What I’ll miss the most is the bond you have with the athletes."