Veteran Multi-Sport Coach Named
To Head Montclair Softball Team

MONTCLAIR- No one can question the fact that the new Montclair High softball coach Mark Griff has a varied background of having worked with a wide range of youngsters in different sports through the years.

He is currently busy this winter coaching the Newton High School freshmen boys basketball team and also serving as a varsity assistant for the Sussex County school. Last fall he completed his second season guiding the East Orange Campus High School girls soccer program.

Next fall he’ll be up at Lenape Valley in Stanhope guiding the Patriots girls soccer team. He has had previous stops including as the JV baseball coach at Mendham and Morris County Vo-Tech, the head women’s basketball coach at County College of Morris, the JV boys basketball coach at Hanover Park and as the assistant varsity girls soccer coach at Randolph.

On the softball diamond he was the JV softball coach last spring at Newton.
It all adds up to a North Jersey coaching virtuoso who is now charged with directing the Mounties softball squad in 2026.

“I like the fact that Mark has gained vast experience while coaching girls in a number of sports and in different communities,” said Montclair High Athletic Director Matt Belford. “He has a great temperament and we feel he has what it takes to build a program, while having a great influence at the youth levels in Montclair softball as well, including with winter clinics and summer camps.

“He understands what we have been stressing to our coaches which is that we need them to have a commitment to their athletes for at least 10 of the 12 months during the year.

“He has great energy and vast experience in the coaching profession, and we feel that he is the right person to both build and further develop our Montclair High School softball program over the next 5-to-10 years.”

The 53-year-old Griff, who is a health and physical education teacher at East Orange Campus High School, takes over a MHS softball program which was successful at their level last spring, highlighted by winning the Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division championship while compiling a fine 21-7 overall record. The Liberty is the second division in the SEC, while the top-tier American features state-ranked programs such as Mount St. Dominic, which was New Jersey’s No. 1 team in 2025, and Group 1 champion Cedar Grove.

By virtue of winning their division championship in 2025 the Mounties will now move up to the top-tier SEC-American Division this spring season. MHS was last in the SEC-American in 2024 when it finished 16-12 overall but just 2-10 in the division.  

“You want to play the best teams in order to keep improving and to continue to work on what you need to do to in order to be a better team in the long run over the course of a full season,” said Belford. “It’s better to be 12-8 playing great competition and learning something from each game than being 20-2 and beating some teams 9-1 or 10-1 and not really getting much out of that victory to grow from.”

The Mounties have a solid group of veteran players set to return this spring, including a talented outfield of junior center fielder Ella Reynolds, senior right fielder Kayla Guzman, sophomore left fielder Delilah Levy, junior catcher Alex Bischak and senior pitcher Marley Kim.

Belford praised now former Mounties coach Mike Goldstein for a job well done after the decision was made last June to make a coaching change.

“Mike is a very good person, and I certainly like what the team accomplished this past season,” the Mounties’ first-year AD said at the time. “However, we just felt after discussing everything involving the year-round development of the softball program that it was time to move in another direction.” 

The process was completed in late December when Griff was formally approved as the Mounties’ new head softball coach.

“Being named as Montclair’s softball coach is a great opportunity,” he said. “I’ve been able to take a look at some of the players in workouts and on videos that parents have provided.  

“What I know is that there is some really good talent here, and I’m really impressed with their softball IQ and commitment to the program.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Montclair players to help them continue to enjoy the sport of softball while also being a very competitive team this year.

And, despite all the recent cold and heavy snow, it’s not all that long until the start of New Jersey high school softball practice which commences on March 9, which is just five weeks away.

“I can’t wait to get started,” said Griff. “I haven’t lived in Montclair, but I am very familiar with the town and its great sports history.

“The high school softball program has tremendous potential and a very good talent pool to help build an even stronger team moving forward.

“I very much look forward to working with all the girls while striving to help make the sport of softball in town be very successful for years to come!” 

NOTES- Griff enjoyed his own 3-sport (soccer-basketball-baseball) scholastic career at Morris Knols High School in Rockaway where he was a 1990 graduate…His sports-minded extended family includes two well known retired high school athletic directors and coaches in Cliff Bach at West Essex and Morris Hills and Mike George at Boonton and Whippany Park…Griff has two sons, Mark, Jr. and Florian….He also has experience coaching youth basketball and softball teams in his hometown of Rockaway….Montclair High’s only appearance in a softball state final occurred in 1996 when the Mounties lost to Cherokee in the Group 4 championship game played at Toms River North High School.