Greg Toal can certainly handle the media spotlight and he has proven with stopovers at publics, such as Hackensack, and, of course, at parochail titan Don Bosco Prep, that he is among the state's best coaches. (Photo by Sean Buldiger)

Bill Regan of Morris Knolls has not had a ton of talent to work with since his last great team in 2005, but the Golden Eagles' head mentor remains a master at game preparation and execution once the action begins. (Photo by Todd Mundt)

Jim DeSarno is a terrific program re-builder at Westfield. (Photo by Sean Buldiger)

Bill Tracy worked wonders at Livingston and has found early success in his relatively recent at Ridge, a burgeoning grid program. (Photo by Bill Allen-N.J. Sport/Action)

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Now, a look at some of the best at what they do, as we near the start of the 2010 high school gridiron gossip, number-crunching and inevitable, long days and nights of preparation during what is a 13-week marathon for some and a blip on the screen for others.

TOP NORTH JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES:

PROGRAM SUSTAINERS:

Frank Bottone, New Providence

Don Smolyn, Lenape Valley

Vic Paternostro, Pope John

Ken Trimmer, Caldwell

Ed Sadloch, Cedar Grove

Chuck Johnson, Ridgewood

Chris Olsen, Wayne Hills

Dave Drozjock, West Essex

Lou Racioppe, Verona

If Doug Wilkins had not retired at Mountain Lakes after last fall’s perfect season then he too would be on the aforementioned list, but the other names speak for themselves, for their consistently-solid programs, and for the fact the longtime head coach utilizes his superb staff as well as any government head or chief of council would while running an effective state, town or community. Bottone, who will be 80 in January, is an absolute icon, and a picture of consistency in Union County, while Smolyn has always very quietly and efficiently made Lenape Valley a staple in terms of contending for a title in virtually every season of the past 35 years. Trimmer and Sadloch are perfect orchestra leaders who know how to direct but also how to be effectively influenced in kind by very capable assistant coaches who continue to churn out effective game plans week- in and week-out and season-in and season-out. Olsen has engineered one of the most prolific public school programs in terms of mega-winning seasons in the history of the game. Drozjock, the youngest of this group, turned West Essex into perhaps ‘the public school Group 1-2 team’ of the last decade in Northern New Jersey. Racioppe, who is underrated in some corners for no discernible reason, has only guided top-notch, small-school squads, including a brilliant 48-10 run from 2004-09 and even with a 6-4 record last fall, the consistency is intact for the ‘Billies along with great promise for 2010.

MASTERS OF THE GAME PLAN AND EXECUTORS OF IT:

Bill Regan, Morris Knolls

Bill Tracy, Ridge

Greg Toal, Don Bosco Prep

Tony Karcich, St. Joe’s (Montvale)

Scott Miller, Brearley

Kevin Hennelly, West Morris

Cosmo Lorusso, Roxbury

Terry Hanratty, Governor Livingston

There are very few coaches with the long-standing ability to adjust on the fly and alter whatever detailed game plan has been developed than Regan of Knolls, who despite lacking much natural talent in most seasons, still provides a formidable opponent, especially 2005 and prior when he had some truly masterful teams operating out of the veer. Tracy has fit like a glove in his short time at Ridge, one of the up-and-coming programs in the state, and his prior work at Livingston was downright remarkable in the way it all culminated in 2008. Toal, regardless of his incredible annual arsenal of talent on hand at Bosco, is a superb game coach and motivator of young men, and he has proven in prior stops at public schools that he can win anywhere, a reality with him that might otherwise be a matter for at least a shadow of a doubt when it comes to certain other parochial school coaches who haven’t yet-and never will-go the more uncertain terrain of the public school route. Karcich is very sharp on his feet in pressure spots while DeSarno has proven to be an instant creative influence on a not-too-long-ago dormant Westfield program. Miller has been as impressive a winner at the small-public school level as anyone in the state, while Hennelly’s West Morris teams are always efficient if not very successful Lorusso works well with his ground-oriented personnel in the Wing T, while Hanratty has been both innovative and consistent with his work at G.L.

PROGRAM BUILDERS:

John Liberato, Summit

Darnell Grant, Shabazz (formerly Irvington)

Brian Logan, West Side

Al-Tarik White, Weequahic

Jim DeSarno, Westfield

Gary Mobley, Rahway

Marion Bell, East Orange Campus

John Power, Hillside

While some people marveled at what John Liberato accomplished during his impressive run at Hanover Park, his reclamation job at Summit has been a revelation. The once proud Hilltopper program had hit on some hard times, but Liberato’s instant infusion of energy, discipline and smarts built Summit into a playoff championship team in just his third season at the helm. Grant took his talents to Shabazz, but not before making his hometown Irvington one of the consistently-strong and winningest programs in North Jersey the past seven years. Logan and White have each won playoff titles (2007 and 2006, respectively) while raising the spirits and maximizing the talent at their Brick City schools. DeSarno, who even won at Kinnelon, which has no football history, has been an instant sensation at Westfield doing much the same type of resurrection of a once great program that Liberato has done at Summit. DeSarno’s Blue Devils have posted four straight winning seasons in his tenure and appear to still be on the upswing heading into 2010. Since arriving on the scene and taking over a Rahway program that had been 2-8 the season prior, Mobley has done nothing but win and continue to build on his success. Bell, who has guided his East Orange Jaguars to playoff finals in both 2007 and 2009, winning a title in ’07, has been masterful at harnessing the immense talent in the Campus building. Power’s first season with the Comets (8-3 in 2008) was an incredible achievement and even last year’s 4-6 campaign for the road warriors from Hillside was an indication of promising times to still come for the Union County school.

COACHES ON THE RISE:

Dan Sabella, Paramus

Tim McCormack, Lakeland

Don Morgenroth, Chatham

Chris Kubick, Madison

Deon Candia, Linden

Brian Sheridan, Union

Nick Gregorio, Johnson

Sabella has proven at both Bogota (with a playoff championship) and at Paramus, which was abysmal before his arrival, that he is a definite coach to watch for years to come. McCormack, who understands the whole package, from dealing with the media to molding the talent at the Passaic County school, has been an instant hit at Lakeland, including a memorable season in 2008. Morgenroth showed in his first season at Chatham (6-4) that he has an immediate handle on what has to be done to succeed in soccer-rich Cougar country. Kubick has grown into a fine all-around coach with the Dodgers, who had a fine 8-3 season last year. Candia is quietly building a program to watch at Linden, while Sheridan continues to work his tail off to get the job done at his alma mater, which appears to be a team to watch for years to come and Gregorio made a smooth transition from college coaching (at Kean) to working well at the high school level with the Crusaders.

Hard-working Marion Bell has built a formidable public school program at East Orange Campus while winning a North 1, Group 4 playoff title in 2007. (Photo by Doug Allen)

Lou Racioppe has done a very solid job with his Verona 'Billies. (Sideline Chatter photo)

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