Coach, Friend, Mentor: Readers' Memories Of Brick's Warren Wolf

BRICK, NJ — When you talk with people who knew Warren Wolf, almost everyone has a story to tell. A moment he helped them see beyond themselves. A situation where he pushed them to be better. A way he helped them when they weren't expecting it.

Hundreds of stories about Wolf, the legendary and beloved Brick Township football coach, educator, and public servant, who died Nov. 22 at age 92, were likely told Friday as hundreds gathered for his viewing at Brick Township High School.

Patch asked readers to share their stories of about Wolf. Here's what we received and gathered. There's also a video memory by Todd Durkin, who played quarterback in the 1984-1988 seasons.

Keith Whitaker, Class of 1974, played 1972-73 seasons: I moved to Bricktown in the middle of my sophomore year of high school. I was lucky enough to play for Coach Wolf my junior and senior years at Bricktown High School. Being one of the new kids in town, Coach made me feel welcomed. He taught life lessons through the game of football and set the example. I sometimes find myself saying or thinking of things that Coach Wolf had said or using a saying that he had used. Through the years I have shared stories of the Coach with others. He had an impact. The life lessons that he taught have been with me throughout my life and have helped to make me the person that I have become. Coach Wolf will live on in the hearts and minds of all that knew him. I am proud to have played for Coach Wolf. Thank you Coach, for everything.

Tom Lamberson, Class of 1972, played 1968-71 seasons: Coach Wolf has been always been a bigger-than-life example of a solid good man who touched the lives of so many Brick boys who are now men. We all know his favorite sayings and pregame pep talks. "You knock them down and pick them up and knock 'em down again." He was always putting gum in his mouth as we were exiting out of the locker room after one his pep talks. Always wore that same old gray suit. Would never say "Jesus Christ" in anger. Instead, he would say Cheese and Crackers. My brother Carl was quarterback from '61 to '64 and my brother Dave played from '64 to '68 and I played from '68 to '71. When my mother passed away a few years ago, he showed up at the funeral and I’m so thankful he came. When my brother Carl died in Vietnam in July of '69, Coach Wolf kept a picture of Carl on his desk and I’ll never forget that. He had a memory like no other. We had a father son dinner at the Knights of Columbus behind the Brick Plaza and he stood at the door as we came in and shook everyone’s hand and asked everyone’s name. Some guys who didn’t have Dads brought their uncles. Later in the evening he introduced every person in the room as we stood up. Pretty damn impressive!! What an honor to say I knew this man. Rest In Peace Coach Wolf!!!"

Gary Bonavito, Class of 1984, played 1980-83 seasons: My father and I drove out to Penn State during Easter break, which was spring practice for the football team. It was 1978 I was 12 yrs old. We get our hotel room at the Nittany Lion Inn. Then we drive over to the field. Not a soul is there. The players eventually start running out on the field and this big guy comes over to us (Dick Anderson, Penn State assistant and later coach at Rutgers) and said, This is a closed practice. My father engaged him in conversation for a while until Coach Joe Paterno came over and said "Hi Folks." My dad said, "Joe, I’m here introducing my son to Penn State football. I hope one day he will play for you." He said "Where you folks from?" My dad said "The Jersey Shore ... Brick Township." Paterno said, "Oh yeah?!! You folks are welcome to stay and tell WARREN I said hello!" Well I almost died. He knew who our Coach Wolf was lol. I didn’t know at that age he was friends with him lol!!"

Brian Laskey: My favorite memory of Warren Wolf was in the early '80s my dad and I were looking for something to do and we knew of the Brick football game, the championship being played at Giants Stadium against Toms River. My dad didn't know Warren Wolf but he decided to approach him and see if he would allow us to ride on the bus with the team. Warren Wolf being a great guy he was told my dad if he agreed to be a chaperone that we were more than welcome to ride with the team. I was forever grateful for that experience and a great memory with my father. Thank you in heaven Mr. Wolf."

Christine Carter Davies: My dad, his brother, John Carter; Harold Handchen and Warren played golf as a foursome for years. My dad encouraged Warren to run for office, as he was getting out.
We’re blessed to know such great people!!! My brother played for him when the school just opened until he graduated in 60. W.W. affected his life as well."

Charles Douglas Fyle: Coach Wolf came to our house (Lake Riviera) once when he was campaigning for mayor (71). I wasn't home. My mother said that while they were talking in the living room his glanced over at the picture of my brother Tim that rested on the TV set. It was a photo of him taken in Vietnam. She was taken back of how proud he was of one of "the Brick boys" answering the call of duty and serving. Even without that, he still would have gotten the vote. He was a great leader, even beyond football.

Deryl Dunbar Marsch: My son Jordan played varsity four years, from '02 - 05. He is a NJ State Trooper today, thanks in part, to Coach Wolf's influence and dedication to all his players. I can remember a game, with a huge crowd, when a play at the sideline knocked Coach Wolf to the ground. There was a collective gasp, and total silence (you could hear a pin drop) on both sides of the field until he was helped up, unhurt, to the cheers of everyone. That is the respect this man had from everyone who was blessed to know him.

Michael McCourt: I graduated in '77 and played for Coach throughout my four years of high school. Coach Wolf personally brought me up to see the football coach at William Paterson College. I had no plans to go to college until he took me to WPC. Decided to go there, played football for 4 years, met my wife there and now I've been a coach since I graduated college in 81. All because he didn't want me to waste my life. I owe him a lot!

From Stan Pokrywka, Class of 1986, played 1982-85 seasons: I think of Coach Wolf often and include him in a presentation I do when introducing myself to a new group. I talk about how I grew up in NJ, played football for a guy named Warren Wolf who is the winningest coach in NJ HS football history and was one of the most influential people in my life growing up. I use him to explain to people my simplistic approach to life and business, about treating people well and being an expert at the fundamental things, the blocking and tackling of life. We ran such a simple offense in the '80s (maybe they still do) a Wing T. All our opponents knew what we were going to do but they couldn’t stop it. The preparation and the repetitiveness of our practices were such that it gave us a competitive advantage. No teams were willing to put the time in that we did watching film, lifting weights, preparing endlessly each week. I recently came across a defensive game plan for us to play Bayonne in 1984 and it was handwritten 16-page plan and scouting report for one game. Now that was probably written by Coach Sig (Ron Signorino Sr.) but that was the kind of effort and preparation that Coach Wolf expected.

One year we were practicing on Labor Day and he gathered us on the practice field as he always did and said, "It’s Labor Day boys, and that’s what we’re gonna do … Labor!" It became a saying that stuck with many of us to this day. Maybe because most people were off or at the beach or at least not practicing twice a day in the dusty practice field next to the bus parking lot. Everyone wanted to play football for Coach Wolf at Brick and put ourselves in contention to win a championship that they’d do most anything.

My senior year he had the team all together in the locker room talking to us. Players were sitting on the floor and kneeling listening to him as he spoke and walked among us. He was wearing his usual garb: White T-shirt, cotton web belt that was tattered on the last 6 inches, khaki pants and his coaching shoes. He’s wearing a gold watch on his wrist. He was animated and pacing around speaking and motivating us when one player ( I think it was Vic Meillo) either raised his hand or shifted his position from seated to kneeling but he bumped into Coach Wolf’s arm, broke the band on his watch and the watch fell to the tile floor in the locker room and smashed the crystal. Coach said “Don’t worry Vic, my father gave that watch to me after he returned from WWII.” I think the air went out of the building…

A couple sayings:

• Two to go from over here
• Run it again!
• I want to hear the leather poppin!
• Get off the mark!
• Get your helmet, your mouthpiece and your shoes when you want them to be

I could go on and on but they’re almost all inside jokes…

Coach Wolf coached thousands of football players over the years and influenced so many lives. I know the lessons he taught me, the work ethic, the constant desire to get better every day, the moral character helped me at my time at West Point, my years in the Army and every day since. Don’t get fancy, there are no short cuts or any silver bullets. The only way to get better is to work hard, know your job inside and out, prepare better than your opponent and then you can put yourself in a position to be successful.

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