Six legends to be inducted into South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame

The West Jersey Football Coaches Association announced six new inductees for the Class of 2026 into the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

The inductees are: Charlie Roman (Holy Spirit), Mario Patrizi (Cinnaminson), Steve Everette (Burlington Township/Willingboro/Princeton), Dennis Scuderi (Paul VI/St. Augustine/Camden Catholic), Joe Galliera (athletic director) and Mike McGarry (Press of Atlantic City.

The Class of 2026 will be recognized during halftime of the Battle at the Beach fo otball showcase on Aug. 29 at halftime of the game between Shawnee and Old Bridge.

“The South Jersey Football Hall of Fame exists to recognize those individuals whose commitment and contributions have shaped our football community,” said WJFCA President John Emel. “The Class of 2026 exemplifies excellence, leadership, and service, and we are honored to celebrate their achievements.”

(Bios were provided by the West Jersey Football Coaches Association)

Long has been considered one of South Jersey’s top football coaches. A 1987 Holy Spirit High School graduate, he played for the Spartans. Following college coaching stints at Albany (Georgia), Princeton, Lafayette. Jacksonville University, and the University of Delaware. Roman became a Spirit assistant in 2003, under head coach Bill Walsh. He was often the team’s offensive and defensive coordinator at the same time. The Spartans finished 12-0 and won the state Non-Public III title in 2007. The 2007 Spartans are considered one of the best teams in South Jersey history. Roman replaced Walsh as head coach after the 2007 season. In four years as head coach, Roman led Spirit to a 35-9 record and the 2010 state Non-Public III title and the 2011 state Non-Public II title. The 2010 Spartans finished 12-0 and are considered one of the greatest teams in Cape-Atlantic League history. In 2012, Roman shook up the South Jersey football world when he joined St. Augustine as an assistant coach under head coach and good friend Mark Reardon. The Hermits were 42-9 in the five seasons the duo coached there. Roman returned to Holy Spirit as an assistant in 2018, where he remained until his retirement following the 2025 season. Roman helped Holy Spirit also win the 2019 state Non-Public II championship. The Spartans also finished 8-0 and were considered South Jersey’s No. 1 team during the pandemic shortened 2020 season.

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Patrizi has built an excellent tradition at Cinnaminson High School. During his head coaching career Patrizi has a record of 117-83. Patrizi surpassed the 100-win milestone in 2023. His teams are frequently regarded as well coached and he developed many competitive teams during his tenure with 12 winning seasons. He has mentored countless student-athletes and continues to serve as Head Coach of the perennially successful football program at Cinnaminson. He was the 2017 Brooks-Irvine Coach of the Year Award Winner.

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Everette has established himself as one of the premier active head football coaches in South Jersey. His career record sits at 121-72. Known early on as a program builder, he spent his first 7 years of his career at Clayton and Princeton. Everett took over his alma-mater Willingboro in 2014 and led them to unprecedented success. Willingboro captured 4 sectional championships over 10 years, highlighted by his 2019 team that finished 12-1 and finished ranked No. 8 in New Jersey. He has proven his dedication to the coaching profession, continuing to serve on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Football Coaches Association, including a former stint as President. He is currently heading into his third year as head coach at Burlington Township where he already boasts a 18-3 record over his first two seasons. In 2019 he was named the Brooks-Irvine Coach of the Year Award Winner, the Courier-Post Coach of the Year, and NJFCA Coach of the Year.

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Scuderi has enjoyed a highly successful coaching career highlighted by more than 100 victories and presided over several of the best parochial programs in South Jersey. At the conclusion of the 2025 season his head coaching record is 136-73, over 22 seasons. In two stints with Camden Catholic, including his first from 1998 to 2004, he went 57-28 with 4 division championships. He took over a struggling St. Augustine Prep program in 2006 and produced a 37-20 tenure, including a 19-2 stretch in 2008-2009, where they captured two Cape-Atlantic National Division titles. Since 2019 he has been the head coach at Paul VI going 42-25 and rebuilding the program into a perennial Top 15 team in South Jersey.

Over his distinguished 48 year career, he had stints at Camden, Camden Catholic, Bishop Eustace, Hammonton, Washington Township, and West Deptford. He oversaw successful football programs as an Athletic Director at Bishop Eustace, West Deptford, and Washington Township. He spent his final 12 years as Athletic Director at Kingsway Regional High School from 2002 to 2014, helping its athletics department transform from a smaller group 2 school to one of the largest and most successful athletic programs in South Jersey. His high school head coaching career began in baseball at Camden Catholic where he led them a state championship in 1973, and the inaugural Diamond Classic in 1974. Over his long career his leadership, professionalism, and commitment to student-athletes fostered excellence both on and off the field.

For more than three decades, McGarry has been one of the leading voices covering high school sports in South Jersey. A longtime sportswriter and columnist for The Press of Atlantic City, McGarry started covering high school sports in 1993. He was named New Jersey Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association in both 2010 and 2016 and has also been a finalist for the award seven times. McGarry has won several New Jersey Press Association awards, including a 2024 third-place for Scholastic Sports Writing Portfolio and a 2020 third-place for overall sports column. McGarry has helped preserve and promote the rich tradition of South Jersey football. His contributions to sports journalism have made a lasting impact on generations of readers and participants alike.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email at tmcgurk@usatodayco.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame names 2026 class