Erik Rosenmeier first became a head football coach at the age of 40 when he was hired to lead the Cranford Cougars in 2005.
Twenty years later Rosenmeier still has the same passion for the position and, now at age 60, even still the same energy as he prepares to begin his 21st season at the helm.
"I can't believe it's been 20 years," said Rosenmeier, who has guided Cranford football to a 136-68 record and the program's three sectional state championships in that span.
Rosenmeier is the longest-tenured head coach in Union County, with Kevin Kostibos at Summit next since 2013, Brian Russo at Rahway since 2015 and Chet Parlavecchio, Jr. at New Providence since 2017.
Rosenmeier was hired in 2005 to succeed Chris Hull, a former standout player at Cranford and 1984 alum, who led the Cougars to the state playoffs for the first time since 1975, to three straight playoff appearances in his final three seasons at the helm, and to one drive away from getting the Cougars to a state championship game in 2003.
For a football program with very little positive history in terms of wins and losses, Hull got the program going in the right direction, handing it off to Rosenmeier, who, although it took some time to get back to the state playoffs, continued the winning ways and took it up a notch playoff-wise once the Cougars got back to making the playoffs.
"I'm grateful," Rosenmeier said. "I was impressed with the kids right away and their toughness. I could coach them tough. Their parents allowed me to do so."
Initial building blocks included the 2005 players having something to prove to a new coaching staff.
"They didn't want to hear that the cupboard was bare," Rosenmeier said. "When I saw what James Shriner and then what Dennis McCaffery did with the baseball program, I thought baseball won, but that can't be unique. We can win in football too."
Rosenmeier's first team in 2005 opened with a 33-22 win at Hillside and then after losses to Linden and Shabazz went to overtime and defeated Scotch Plains 26-23 for Rosenmeier's first home win at Memorial Field - pre field turf.
That was the first victory in a three-game winning streak. Although the Cougars did not make the playoffs that year in Central Jersey, Group 2, they did defeat Rumson 40-13 at home in a consolation game and closed with a 48-20 win at Kearny the night before Thanksgiving to finish with a winning record of 6-4.
Two of Rosenmeier's players on that 2005 squad were junior Dan Gargiulo and sophomore Chad Faulcon. Both are still presently on Rosenmeier's coaching staff, Gargiulo for nine years and Faulcon for 12.
"I remember that summer we switched to the triple-option," Gargiulo recalled. "I also remember enjoying it so much.
"You had to be present, go 100 percent and sacrifice for others."
When Gargiulo looks to the top of the press box and sees the sign that denotes the state championships Cranford won in 2011, 2015 and 2021 it carries a heavy meaning.
"That sign is what we play for," Gargiulo said. "Playing for Cranford now means still expecting greatness."
Faulcon starred collegiately at Montclair State and last year was inducted into the college's sports Hall of Fame. He reached the National Football League with the Atlanta Falcons in 2012 and at that time it was reported that he was the first Cranford resident to make it to the NFL.
"As a mentor he's a man of his word," Faulcon said of Coach Rosenmeier. "He really cares for you. Luckily, I was good enough to play at Cranford for a long time and a lot of the lessons I learned from him carried over into life. I'll never forget my high school football experience and he was a big part of it."
Only three Rosenmeier Cranford teams finished under .500, the third one two years ago by ending the season with a playoff defeat. The first two were back-to-back in 2008 (3-7) and 2009 (4-6). Enter former Gov. Livingston head coach Joe Hubert as the defensive coordinator for the 2010 season.
"We ramped up the intensity in 2010 with Coach Hubert coming along to coach the defense," Rosenmeier said. "That set a new floor."
Cranford got off to a dominating start by winning at Johnson 43-20 and then at Voorhees 35-6 before losing the home-opener to North Plainfield 28-14. Wins followed against Scotch Plains and GL before the Cougars were edged at home by Rahway 21-20.
After a 23-20 home win over Hillside, Cranford was edged at Summit 17-13 and at Delaware Valley 36-35 in overtime, thus just missing making the playoffs in Central Jersey, Group 2.
Cranford closed a 6-4 winning season with a 14-3 home win over Red Bank. It was the sixth straight year that Cranford played a consolation game after not making the playoffs and the Cougars went a perfect 6-0 in those contests.
They have not played a consolation game since, now having made the state playoffs the last 13 seasons there were state playoffs.
"We were probably the ninth seed many times we didn't make the playoffs," Rosenmeier said.
Cranford was 30-30 under Rosenmeier his first six seasons. Cranford's record the last 14 seasons from 2011 to 2024 is 106-38 (.736). That is one of the best of any public school in the entire state of New Jersey.
So many players have contributed to the success, from Reggie Green going to Pitt, Luke Christiano going to Lehigh and Will Fries going to Penn State. Fries, after starting at guard and playing the last four years with the Indianapolis Colts, is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
Cranford football has arrived.
"I think so," Rosenmeier said.
When Rosenmeier looks up to the state championship sign which is now a huge part of Memorial Field he is reminded of what it took to put those numbers up there.
"I'm proud," Rosenmeier said. "Cranford had some good teams and some good players before, but had not won in the past. In 2014 we let one get away. It shows you how hard it is to win.
"We came back in 2015 with the motto, 'finish the job,' and we did."
In 2014 Cranford was 11-0 and lost to Parsippany Hills 20-13 in the North 2, Group 3 final at Met Life. The Cougars had four shots from the PH 10-yard line at game's end to tie the contest but were denied the end zone. Cranford previously blanked the Vikings 27-0 in the 2011 North 2, Group 3 final at Kean University for its first state championship.
Cranford came back in 2015 and after a 24-23 season-opening win at Warren Hills won 10 of its final 11 games by double-digits, closing with a super-convincing 50-23 win over Chatham at Kean in the North 2, Group 3 final. That Cranford team, which was Fries' senior season, averaged over 50 points in its three playoff victories.
"Cranford finished a perfect 12-0 in 2015, the only year it won a state championship game without losing a single game. The 2021 team also won a state championship with an undefeated record, 11-0, but then lost a regional championship game to finish 11-1.
Two wins that stand out 10 years apart include the first on the road and the second at home.
When Cranford made the grade in 2011 in North 2, Group 3 only five teams qualified in the section, not eight. As a result of being the No. 3 seed, Cranford received a first-round bye and went right to the semifinals at second-seeded Colonia. The host Patriots were coming off a 33-21 regular season home win over Wall two weeks earlier. Senior running back Greg Jones carried the ball 27 times for 450 yards and five touchdowns.
"A friend of mine went to that game and saw what Jones did and when he found out we were going to be playing Colonia he said something like, 'well, you had a nice season.'
"He didn't think we could stop Jones. Well, we didn't even want to just contain him.
"My game plan was, and it's a line from Michael Corleone in Godfather 2, 'here's my offer, you get nothing.'"
Sparked by a strategy set up by first-year defensive coordinator Hubert, Cranford held Jones to just 131 yards on 20 carries and the team's lone touchdown, which came against the Cranford reserves.
"Most of his yards came after the game was already decided," Rosenmeier said.
Cranford won North 2, Group 3 that year with a 10-1 record. The Cougars were 7-0 before being humbled at home by another 7-0 team, Summit, by the score of 52-21.
"That loss was the best thing to happen to us," Rosenmeier said. "It showed us how far we still had to go to reach our ultimate goal."
Summit was seeking to win North 2, Group 2 for the second time in three seasons that year and took a record of 32-1 in its last 33 games into the final at Kean against Madison. Summit lost 47-7.
Cranford's memorable home win 10 years later in 2021 was the season-opener at Memorial Field against North Hunterdon, which was an improbable 43-37 single overtime comeback triumph.
Senior quarterback Shane Van Dam, who this year was drafted by the Kansas City Royals, threw a pick-6 late in the fourth quarter that gave the visiting and underdog Lions a 37-21 advantage with very little time left.
Down by 16, Colin Murray then scored his third touchdown on a two-yard run and Van
Dam threw a two-point pass to Jack Conley to pull the Cougars to within 37-29.
The Cougars got the ball back one more time and it was Van Dam throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to Will Gallagher and then a two-point pass to Gallagher to tie the game.
Then Cranford blocked a field goal attempt to send the game to overtime.
In OT it was Murray getting loose again for his game-leading fourth touchdown on a 20-yard run up the middle to give Cranford the 43-37 victory.
Cranford won its next 10 games, including a 38-28 victory at 6-0 Woodbridge and all three playoff wins at home over Demarest, Pascack Valley and Sparta, by double digits. Cranford won North 2, Group 3 for the third time and for the first time at home with the 45-21 triumph over Sparta. Cranford averaged over 40 points in the playoffs and then saw its season end with a 53-14 loss to North 1, Group 3 champ West Morris in a Group 3 regional championship game played at Met Life.
"That win over North Hunterdon was tremendous," Rosenmeier said. "It showed the character of the team. When Van Dam threw the pick-6, game on. We continued on our way and refused to lose."
Hubert, who this June at the Phil Simms North-South Game was inducted into the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, has moved on to coach at Watchung Hills where he has a grandson playing. He was with Rosenmeier for 15 years.
Kerry Drexler was with Rosenmeier for 20. John Vicci is still coaching with Rosenmeier, on staff since 2009. Sean Trotter, 2011 Cranford grad and also the varsity boys basketball head coach, is back on staff.
Ryan Huber, a 1993 Dayton grad who at one time was the varsity boys basketball coach at Cranford, has been with Rosenmeier since day one.
"There's tremendous loyalty here," Rosenmeier said. "I do have the same energy as I've had in the past. My No. 1 concern will always be how hard can I coach them.
"The sports community here in Cranford makes me want to continue to coach here."
Hull, who guided Morristown to the North 2, Group 3 sectional state championship in 2010 with a convincing 40-6 win over Nutley in the first year of Met Life Stadium, got the ball rolling, playoff-wise, for Cranford.
Hull had Cranford in the 2002 playoffs in North 2, Group 3, with the big win that year a road victory at Scotch Plains early on. The Cougars, as the seventh seed, lost in the first round at second-seeded Shabazz 14-6 to finish 6-4. Hull's first three Cranford teams all closed at 2-8 in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
The 2003 Cranford Cougars returned to Newark for their season-opener and this time topped the host Bulldogs 14-6. It was the beginning of a 4-0 start and another eventual playoff berth, this time in North 2, Group 2. There Cranford defeated Voorhees 28-21 at Memorial Field for the program's first-ever playoff victory.
Cranford then traveled to Bergen County to face Rutherford in the semifinals on a rare 60-degree night for that time of the year in November. Cranford had four leads: 7-0, 14-7, 21-14 and then 24-21 on a late Bryan Giannecchini field goal before Rutherford scored the winning touchdown on its final possession. The Cougars finished 8-3.
The 2004 squad, guided by seniors Chris Drechsel at quarterback and Jamar Ingram at running back, was 7-1 heading into the Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs and on a six-game winning streak that included a 28-25 victory at Group 4 Irvington on the playoff cutoff date weekend.
Cranford's only regular season setback was a 12-10 loss at Linden in its second game.
As the second seed and without an injured Ingram Cranford was defeated at home by seventh-seeded Rahway 20-13. The Cougars concluded an 8-2 season and second straight eight-win campaign by blanking Kearny 38-0 at home on Thanksgiving.
50 YEARS AGO IN 1975 WAS CRANFORD'S FIRST PLAYOFF SEASON
Cranford had only one playoff season before 1984 Cranford graduate Chris Hull guided the Cougars to playoff appearances in 2002, 2003 and 2004, the last three of his six-season tenure as Cranford head coach. Hull then guided Morristown to a sectional state championship in 2010, one year before Cranford captured its first one.
This is the 50-year anniversary of Cranford's first state playoff appearance. Cranford qualified for the first North 2, Group 4 section that featured four teams, which was in 1975. The state playoffs in New Jersey began the year before in 1974, but with only sectional finals played in Atlantic City.
The North 2, Group 4 playoffs in 1975, based on a new power points system then, featured top-seeded Livingston, second-seeded Barringer, third-seeded Irvington and fourth-seeded Cranford. Only four teams qualified from 1975-1997. The sections were expanded to include eight teams in 1998.
In the 1975 North 2, Group 4 semifinals Livingston shut out Cranford 44-0 in Livingston, while Barringer edged Irvington 7-6 in Newark. Barringer then won at Livingston 14-13 in the final to capture the sectional championship.
That is still Barringer's only sectional state championship in the playoff era. Two of Barringer's three playoff victories came in that season.
Livingston would go on to also lose the 1976 North 2, Group 4 final at Westfield 14-0. Three of Livingston's six playoff wins came in 1975, 1976 and 1979. The Lancers' other three came in 2008 under head coach and Union alum Bill Tracy when the Lancers captured their only sectional state championship in the playoff era. Livingston defeated Clifton, Ridgewood and Hackensack to garner the 2008 North 1, Group 4 crown.
Irvington did not make the state playoffs again until 2003 and Cranford not again until 2002.
ERIK ROSENMEIER COACHING RESUME AT CRANFORD:
2005: (6-4) - no playoffs
2006: (5-5) - no playoffs
2007: (6-4) - no playoffs
2008: (3-7) - no playoffs
2009: (4-6) - no playoffs
2010: (6-4) - no playoffs
2011: (10-1) - North 2, Group 3 state champions
2012: (7-3) - North 2, Group 3 semifinals
2013: (7-4) - North 2, Group 3 semifinals
2014: (11-1) - North 2, Group 3 final
2015: (12-0) - North 2, Group 3 state champions
2016: (7-3) - North 2, Group 3 first round
2017: (6-4) - North 2, Group 3 first round
2018: (6-4) - North 2, Group 4 semifinals
2019: (5-4) - North 1, Group 4 first round
2020: (6-2) - No playoffs because of Covid-19 pandemic
2021: (11-1) - North 2, Group 3 state champions
2022: (7-3) - North 2, Group 3 semifinals
2023: (4-5) - North 2, Group 3 first round
2024: (7-3) - North 2, Group 3 semifinals
Record: 136-68 (.667)
Playoff record: (15-11)
Playoff seasons: 13, all in a row, the last 13
Winning seasons: 17 of 20
Winning seasons in a row: 13 (2010-2022)
Consolations games: (6-0) from 2005-2010
North 2, Group 3 final: (3-1) - all 4 in program
North 2, Group 3 champions: 3 - all 3 in program
North 2, Group 3 semifinals: 8
North 2, Group 4 semifinals: 1
