Replacement could be appointed on Monday
By: Nick D’Amore
One of South Brunswick High School’s winningest football coaches won’t be returning for another season.
John Coppola, with a 41-43-1 record during his nine years as head coach, said he resigned in November for "mostly personal reasons."
"I want to pursue other interests," he said.
SBHS Athletic Director Elaine McGrath said a replacement for Mr. Coppola will be up for approval by the Board of Education on Monday.
Mr. Coppola was head coach of the team since 1993, with his best year coming in 1995 when the team went 7-2 and was one win away from qualifying for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs.
The following years, the team continued its winning ways with 6-3 records in 1996 and 1997.
The squad finished the 2001 season with a 5-5 record after a 4-0 start.
Under Mr. Coppola, the team enjoyed the success that had eluded it prior to 1993.
He was an assistant coach for previous coach Bill Scanlon, under whom the team won one game each season for two years. The Vikes also won just one game the season before Mr. Scanlon arrived.
Also, before Mr. Coppola, the team lost 15 straight Thanksgiving Day games against North Brunswick. Under him, SBHS went 6-2-1 against their rivals on Thanksgiving.
Mr. Coppola had two players earn scholarships at NCAA programs running back Kenny Rogers went to Division I-A Maryland and running back Joe DiGiglio went to Division I-AA Delaware.
Numerous other Vikings went on to play and excel at college football at Division III programs.
"I feel good about the accomplishments of the program," he said. "As the head coach I feel we did turn the program around into a consistently competitive team. I think the program is solid and has a good foundation."
Mr. Coppola said he spent 16 years with the SBHS football team starting as an assistant coach under Nick Scerbo.
In addition to the football program, Mr. Coppola was also head coach of the girls basketball team and assistant baseball coach for six years, from 1986 to 1990 and then 1996 to 1998.
"I was out of baseball for a couple years because I was coaching three sports," he said.
Mr. Coppola will continue teaching health, physical education and driver education at the high school.
Superintendent Sam Stewart said Mr. Coppola is "a good man" and a hard worker.
"I know he worked tirelessly to do the very best he could for our students and for the football program," said Dr. Stewart.