It does seem inevitable that Seton Hall Prep coach Mike Sheppard, Jr. will pass Toms River South’s retired Ken Frank (934 wins) and then be the state’s leader for all-time high school baseball victories – perhaps happening some time next season - and while there are other veteran coaches with high win totals still out there - including a few on the verge of reaching milestones (see more on that further down on this page), it seems fair to say that number will be less and less as time continues to move on.
Shep Jr.'s win totals keep climbing as he reached 903 following Saturday's (April 18) 3-2 walk-off independent home victory vs. Old Bridge.
And, his first cousin, Old Tapppan coach Tim Byron, became the third coach in Bergen County history to reach the 600-win plateau with this past Friday's (April 17) 5-1 victory vs. Bergen Catholic at Breslin Field in Lyndhurst.
Old Tappan also defeated Westwood, 4-1, on Saturday, as Byron's win total keeps rising in now his 31st season at the helm for the Bergen County school following other coaching stops earlier in his career at Ramapo, Glen Ridge and Montclair.
The only other Bergen County coches with 600 wins are Kurt Hommen (Ridgewood, and now Tenafly) and the late Frank Salvano of St. Joseph of Montvale.
Looking around other North Jersey counties, the retired Union County legends Westfield’s Bob Brewster 655-342-3) and Ray Korn (651-308-1) were other big winners on the diamond, as were Morristown’s Harry Shatel (752-326) and Union’s Gordon LeMatty (641-272-4).
The current crop of younger head coaches who might some day get to that 800 or 900 plateau could include Chris Roof of Governor Livingston (504-184-1), who has plenty of mileage left in his tank as does Dennis McCaffery (527-161), who established a powerhouse during his run at Cranford and is still at it, now in his second season at St. Joseph of Metuchen.
Up in Morris County, among the longtime coaches still going strong are Harry Shatel’s son Bruce at Delbarton (450-160-2) and Roxbury’s Greg Trotter (403-278).
With the retirement last June of both Millburn’s Brian Chapman (291-114) and Livington’s Mickey Ennis (262-184-1), in additio to the departure of Nutley’s Bob Harbison (284-188) a couple of seasons ago, there aren’t many other Essex County coaches left with big win totals as Montclair’s Ron Gavazzi (318-218-5 entering this season) and Bloomfield’s Mike Policastro (308-305) are both in the 300-club.
It’s a different and perhaps more challenging terrain for coaches to traverse these days. There have been those who showed outstanding potential for possibly having long coaching careers, but may have decided to step down for a variety of reasons including perhaps a school-day career move, perhaps as an assistant principal, or they got out because of simply getting worn out by dealing with overzealous parents and non-supportive school administrators.
Parental interference and perhaps a lack of support from one’s athletic director, high school principal, school superintendent or board of education are common threads in leading to coaches exiting stage right.
Still, there are still a few longtime coaches still out there, like SHP’s Shep, Jr. and St. Augustine’s Sam Tropiano (797-285-1), continuing to coach and winning more times than not.
***
A Walk Through NJ Baseball Coaching History by Bob Behre, Diamond Nation
NJ Baseball Coaches All-Time Victories List
(List had been updated through games of last Tuesday, April 14, 2026).
x-denotes coach is active.
900 wins
- Ken Frank, Toms River South – 934-356-3
- x-Mike Sheppard, Jr. West Orange/Seton Hall Prep – 900-240-7
800 wins
- Marty Kenney, Christian Brothers Academy – 832-349
700 wins
- x-Sam Tropiano, Bishop Eustace/St. Augustine – 797-285-1
- Tony Ferrainolo, Memorial (WNY) – 754-208
- Harry Shatel, Morristown – 752-326
600 wins
- Rich Bender, Delran – 672-349
- Lee Ware, Woodstown – 671-414
- Bob Brewster, Westfield – 655-342-3
- Ray Korn, Elizabeth – 651-308-1
- Gordon LeMatty, Union – 641-272-4
- x-Kurt Hommen, Ridgewood/Tenafly – 646-292-1
- x-Rich Horan, Audubon – 634-253-3
- Norm Hewitt, Bridgewater West/ Bridgewater/Hillsborough – 631-326
- Frank Salvano, St. Joseph (Mont.) – 630-184-1
- Mike Zadroga, Dickinson/North Bergen/Hudson Catholic/County Prep – 611-254
- x-Dennis Barth, Gloucester Catholic – 612-127-1
- Russ Spicer, Haddonfield/Moorestown/Paulsboro/Cinnaminson – 603-287
500 wins
- Joe Kasberger, St. Benedict’s Prep – 593-137-3
- x-Tim Byron, Glen Ridge/Montclair/Old Tappan – 598-386-4
- Joe Urbanovich, St. Peter’s Prep – 580-272
- Andy Greener, Ewing – 561-244-5
- John Ponchak, Ramsey – 555-342
- Bob Carcich, Emerson – 539-233
- Joe Cervino, Paramus – 538-284-2
- x-Dennis McCaffery, Cranford/St. Joseph (Met.) – 529-167
- Butch Servideo, Lyndhurst – 524-265-1
- Tom Gambino, Immaculata – 522-133-1
- Jack Fletcher, Columbia – 522-227
- Ralph Cobb, Old Tappan/Rutherford – 522-321
- Bill Frank, Toms River East – 520-279-2
- Mike Hogan, St. Mary(J.C.)/St. Anthony/Marist/Ferris – 519-427
- Champ Atlee, Lawrenceville – 519
- x-Rob Christ, Eastern/Gateway 520-217
- x-Gary Sarno, Camden Catholic/CH West/Hammonton/PaulVI/ Triton/Bordentown – 515-332-2
- John Brunelli, Cliffside Park – 511-239
- Ralph Pacifico, Montclair Kimberley – 510-325-1
- Lou Calderone, Glen Ridge – 507-199
- x-Chris Roof, Millburn/Gov. Livingston – 511-185-1
- x-John Sheppard, Morristown-Beard – 506-299-2
- x-Brian Giallella, Notre Dame/Steinert – 506-160
- Dave Martin, Cherry Hill East – 502-286
On the verge of 500 wins
- x-Jim Maher, Florence/Hamilton West/Nottingham/Lawrence – 498-212-1
- x-Bill Alvaro, Jr., Williamstown/Washington Twp./Kingsway – 488-240-1
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