CWC Board of Ed Approves Cuts to Coaches, Clubs

Despite leading the Caldwell High girls volleyball team to back-to-back state championships and five since 2002, the one-year contracts of coaches Jeff and Scott Stiefbold will not be renewed for next year.

Instead, the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education approved Monday night to eliminate a total of eight assistant coaches, a pep band position and six non-athletic extracurricular clubs as a result of budget reductions in addition to the appointments of all fall coaches, including the hiring of Donald Cooper to guide the girls volleyball team.

Superintendent Daniel Gerardi, however, would not comment after the meeting why the twin brothers, who are each in their 23rd year as teachers in the district, were not retained as coaches.

"That's a personnel decision. That's not something we would discuss publicly," Gerardi said. "It's a year-by-year contract. All the coaches are on a year-by-year contract. They are reviewed every year and a decision is made for the following year."

The girls volleyball team won three straight state championships from 2002 to 2004 and back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009 under the Stiefbolds' guidance.

"They didn't just put us on the map, they kept us on the map as one of the top volleyball programs in the state over the years," Caldwell Athletic Director Rich Porfido said Tuesday.

According to Porfido, the coaches informed the team back in December they will not be returning for a 24th year with the program.

Porfido, who also would not comment why they were not retained, said he planned to announce Cooper's hiring to the team on Tuesday.

Cooper has been the girls volleyball coach at North Arlington High School the past 27 years and has guided his team to one NJSIAA Group I state championship, three state final appearances and one trip to the Tournament of Champions.

The 2003 and 2004 Bergen County Coach of the Year received his bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education from Montclair State University and will soon retire as dean of students at North Arlington Middle School.

"He is going to continue the winning tradition of our volleyball program," Porfido said. "He brings with him a lot of success. He has a wealth of experience and he intends to keep Caldwell volleyball at the top."

While Cooper's assistant has not yet been determined, the Board of Education approved the appointments Monday night for all other fall coaches.

However, due to reductions in the district's budget, the board approved the elimination of eight assistant coaches, a pep band position and six non-athletic extracurricular programs for next year at Caldwell High and Grover Cleveland Middle School.

The district requested Porfido and Caldwell High School Principal Kevin Barnes to recommend approximately $37,000 worth of reductions in athletic personnel.

The cutbacks equated to a total of 5 1/2 full-time positions—three full-time coaches and five part-time coaches.

An assistant cross country coach, assistant football coach and assistant wrestling coach—all full-time positions—as well as the part-time positions of a varsity assistant girls soccer coach, varsity assistant boys soccer coach, varsity assistant baseball coach, varsity assistant softball coach and varsity assistant winter track coach were all eliminated in addition to the pep band position.

The board also approved to abolish Caldwell High's Spanish and Italian clubs, literary magazine and the Woodwind Ensemble as well as the Grover Cleveland Middle School's French and ecology clubs.

"We asked the principals at the high school and middle school to make recommendations. One of the variables was student participation and lower enrollment," said Gerardi, who said the district will save approximately $15,000 with these reductions.

"We weren't going to cut things like the school newspaper or the yearbook, because they have been part of a long tradition with the school. We were looking more at the subject clubs that did not have a large participation and some of the newer clubs that have been formed."

Minus an assistant coach, Ken Trimmer returns to lead the Caldwell High football team. Trimmer will be assisted by Tom Lamont, Dan Romano, Al Curtiss, Bob Rubino and Daryl White with Todd Romano as the team's equipment manager.

The boys soccer team will be guided by Alan Branigan, who will be assisted by John Inguagiato. Frank Antonucci will be the assistant junior varsity coach and Joe Collura with be the assistant freshman coach.

Michael Teshkoyan will be the head coach for the girls soccer team with Mark Teshkoyan as an assistant coach and Sara Schechter as an assistant junior varsity coach.

Jodi Longo will be the head coach of cross country with assistant coaches Robert and Anita Dubas.

The girls tennis team will be guided by head coach Jack Kloss with assistant junior varsity coach Al Wozniak.

The fall cheerleading team will be led by head varsity coach Susan Reeve with Laura Mansour as assistant freshman coach and an assistant junior varsity coach has not yet been determined.