HoVal coach thanks players for 100 wins
By: Mike Molaro
The first of Tony Mormile’s 100 career victories came in the fall of 1996 when Notre Dame High School defeated Hamilton in his varsity boys basketball head coaching debut.
Triumph No. 100 came Dec. 17 with a 53-47 win over Ridge at Hopewell Valley Central High School’s Dawg Pound.
In between those nine seasons are the ups and downs of a coach’s spectrum. Through it all, though, is one continuous thread: a true bond with the guys who lace up the sneakers.
"One of the greatest rewards I’ve had coaching are the relationships with the athletes," said the 37-year-old Mormile, who was Irish head coach from 1996-1998 after serving as ND’s junior varsity coach the previous three years. "I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot of good players.
"After gaining my 100th win, I’ve been thinking about the players I’ve coached. I still stay in touch with some of them."
Mormile was the Bulldog freshman coach in 1998-1999 before beginning his current seven-year stint as HoVal’s varsity head man. He took the Bulldogs to the state tournament in his second season something that had eluded HoVal for over a decade.
Whether it was at ND or with the black and yellow of HoVal, his expectations never have wavered.
"I expect my team to always put forth its best effort," Mormile said. "I expect the guys to listen and accept coaching. I also expect my players to be good teammates, because basketball is a team sport.
"I appreciate players who are passionate about the game and have respect for the game. They also have to be good students. They need to conduct themselves well in school. We won’t tolerate troublemakers. If they take care of business in school, it will minimize the number of distractions we will have."
Those expectations are the foundation for Mormile’s 100 wins, but two victories stand out.
"Winning the county title in 1998 with Notre Dame when we beat Trenton 55-52 is one that I will always remember," Mormile said. "We lost to Trenton by 32 points in the regular season, and we were down by 12 at halftime of the county finals.
"The other game is last year’s 56-44 win over Lawrence in the John Molinelli Memorial Tournament. There was a lot of emotion in the gym and during the game."
A 1990 graduate of Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Mormile played two seasons for the Lions under Kevin Bannon. After graduating with a degree in journalism, he worked for the Star Ledger and Domino’s Pizza.
"The night hours were rough," Mormile said. "Those jobs didn’t last long. I went to graduate school at TSC and received my Master’s Degree in counseling."
Mormile enjoys his job as a guidance counselor at HoVal, where he’s been interacting with students since 1998. Prior to that, he held the same position at ND from 1993-1997.
"The energy of the students keeps me energized," Mormile said. "I’m excited about what’s going on in their lives and to be a part of their lives. My job is to help them along."
Just as being open with the students is key to his guidance counselor post, two-way communication is paramount for a successful basketball team.
"The guys have to believe in what I’m preaching," Mormile said. "I want the guys to pay attention to details, play defense, communicate with each other and play with energy.
"I want the guys to respect the game the way I respect the game."
Off the court, Mormile has another team that includes his wife of 10 years, Megan, and their three children, 7-year-old Andrew, 5-year-old Patrick, and 6-month-old Caroline Grace.
"My family plays a huge part in my life," Mormile said. "Megan is very supportive of me, especially with the long hours, scouting trips and watching tapes.
"My boys love watching tapes with me and going to the games."
During his tenure on the Bulldog bench, Mormile has seen a lot of quality players wear the black and yellow. His "All-Hopewell" team consists of guards Jeff Molinelli (2005 grad) and Matt Katz (2001 grad), center Brendan Rutledge (2005 grad), and forwards Brett Reese (2003 grad) and Casey Christensen (2001 grad).
"People probably know a lot about four of those guys," Mormile said. "Casey was the ideal high school forward. He was 6-2, passed and shot well, was very unselfish, and was tough."
If he hung up his coaching whistle today, Mormile has an idea of what he’d like his story to say.
"I’d like to be remembered as a coach who cared about his own effort," he said. "Also as a coach who cared about what his players did on the court and in the classroom. I want people to think of me as a coach who took pride in his job."
With more games to win and that elusive state tournament victory within his grasp, Tony Mormile has a busy agenda that doesn’t include slowing down any time soon.
"I’m very much year-to-year as a coach," he said. "A lot of the pro coaches say they know when it’s time to leave. I enjoy coaching and working with the guys.
"We have a lot more to do at HoVal."

