SOUTH BRUNSWICK: McGrath confident about candidates

By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
   Elaine McGrath is certain of one thing.
   While the South Brunswick High School Athletic Director does not relish the fact she must look for her second football coach in three years, McGrath realizes she should have a strong cast of applicants to choose from.
   ”As soon as word got out (that Rick Mantz resigned), people start calling, asking if they should send a resume’,” McGrath said. “I told them sure. We’re interested in bringing in the best possible candidate. We’ll take our time, we’re not going to rush into anything.
   ”I think we’re a great draw. We’re a Group Four school that has made the playoffs. We have tremendous facilities including a new weight room system that’s under way. We have a great staff and a great program in place. We will have a lot of wonderful candidates.”
   McGrath said there is no rush to find someone. She will soon meet with Principal Tim Matheney and Superintendent Gary McCartney.
   ”We’ll discuss the process, see where we are and what we have,” McGrath said. “We’ll take our time with it.
   ”We go into every head coaching position looking for person that’s the right fit for the student body and the school community. We’re looking for someone who’s great with kids and who has a passion and is in love with the sport.”
   Mantz became the school’s first assistant athletic director/football coach, and McGrath said it is uncertain whether the position will be include both jobs again.
   ”It will depend on what types of jobs we have available,” she said. “We’ll sit down, get a game plan. We’ve done this search before; we’re very confident we’ll bring in the right person.”
   McGrath said the search will be open to all applicants, whether they are on the current staff or from out of state.
   ”We have closed no doors at all,” she said.
   As for the job that Mantz did, the AD said, “He did a great job motivating kids, getting a lot of kids out for football and bringing excitement to the game. I thought it kind of ignited our student body and community to get behind him. It put a lot of excitement into South Brunswick.”
   The kind of excitement another quality coach would love to keep alive.