New MHS Football Coach John Fiore Has Big Shoes To Fill

The Montclair High School football program is in the midst of a transition now that the school has had to replace a local coaching legend—the now-retired Ed Lebida. Improving upon a 3-7 season—a record many supporters claim was an aberration—won't be easy but if anyone is capable of restoring the luster of MHS football it's John Fiore. The 11-year coaching veteran brings a newfound toughness and accountability, according to staunch supporters and friends of the program.

And if you need proof, the feisty Fiore was proud to point out that seven Mounties are now able to bench press 300 pounds—with seven more in the 285-plus pound range. That's a huge jump from the zero number of MHS players who tried and failed when Fiore first took over in late March.

Fiore, who's had successful stints at Spotswood, Marlboro, and Neptune, said
the key to the early improvements lies within his players.

"I'm not saying they didn't lift before I got here. They just weren't lifting major weights much," said Fiore, who has had to replace a coach who won 130 games during a 17-year stint. "They just got a strength coach in place here and just started doing this [workout] program, so I just came in at the right time. Their summer programs were a lot different than what we do now. But everything we do now will be an advantage because they're going to be ready Week One."

Fiore also noted that the work ethic so far is palatable and more unified, as opposed to what might have plagued past MHS teams.

"Ed Lebida was great here. He had 130 wins and nine state final appearances, so it's big shoes to fill. But these kids have the right mindset and they're all buying in," he said, pointing to a 12-minute run he asked players to perform on Monday.

Indeed, the 12-minute run was an impromptu order from the coach, who used it as a gauge to see who's been committed to getting better so far this summer. He happily noted afterwards that everyone who participated gave it their all, with  minimal walking.

But for those who didn't participate, Fiore had a cryptic warning.

"Gentleman, camp starts [next] Monday, so I hope these little injuries heal quick," he said to the stragglers on the bench. "You'll be sitting in the same spot as you are now when we scrimmage. The only way you win a job is on the field. And if you don't pass this test, I'll be seeing you [next] Monday morning [before practice for makeups runs]."

Only 41 years old, Fiore brings an old-school mentality to his team; something he learned as a star wide receiver at Montclair State University from 1986 to 1991. He said he demands the best from his players and won't put up with guys trying to charm their way onto the field. Whoever gets playing time will have certainly earned it, he said. He noted that such obstacles as a tough training camp and unannounced conditioning tests will build strong character and separate the guys willing to put in the work from those who are adverse to it.

Such thinking made Fiore regale when reminiscing about a similar team-building exercise during his earlier days of coaching.

"During one conditioning run at my first job at Spotswood, I had my quarterback puking in the corner and other guys puking, too," he said with a wicked grin. "And I see the principal jogging on the track and I'm thinking, 'oh, man, I'm fired.' But he's an old-school military man and he walks up to me and is like, 'ah, nothing like puke in the morning coach,' and he slaps me on the back and walks away."

Fiore's old-school principles have carried him a long way since then. He sports a career 62-40-1 mark and has left every program in far better shape than when he arrived. Prior to his arrival at Spotswood the football team only had one playoff appearance [1980] and a handful of winning seasons. But when Fiore arrived, they went to the postseason all four years he was there and went 30-10-1 under his reign—even taking Spotswood to the state playoffs three times, including two state semis appearances. The one season they didn't get to postseason they went 6-3-1. Since he left there seven years ago, they have not gone back to the playoffs and have failed to post a winning record.

Marlboro wasn't as kind to Fiore—"a funny situation there"—but he still took a dormant program and made it respectable. The program won two games in the
first four years of the decade before he came aboard but went 6-14 in his two years
there. Since he left, Marlboro went back to its losing ways, going 1-39 over that span.

Neptune, Fiore's alma mater, was 21-29 in the 50 games prior to his arrival. He went 26-16 there, including state semi appearances in his final two seasons, and left that team loaded with talent. "They should win the state title this year [because] I left them with 14 returning starters," he said. As good as he had it at Neptune, though, he said Montclair High was too good a position to pass up.

"I'm coming from a school that's loaded to a young team but I'm at a place with a lot of great tradition," he said. "Even coming off a 3-7 season, they started a lot of young guys, so they'll be alright. It's our job to get them better, fast, because I put more pressure on myself—more than anyone else will."

Fiore then grinned wryly, as if he had a secret, and confidently stated: "We'll be fine."

Perhaps Fiore's secret is his offensive football genius. He's been running a hybrid four-wide spread-option offense with Run & Shoot tendencies long before University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer made it cool. His offense is built on speed and the ability to think quickly on the fly. And he promises that just because his 'skill position' guys [i.e. quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs] are a little green, they are ready for the challenge—specifically because the offensive line has been together for a few seasons.

"We are a young team and although most of our linemen are coming back, there are very few 'skill position' guys coming back but they'll be ok," he said. "We'll be new out there for sure but we're just focusing on showing improvement out there and taking it one game at a time. Right now we're looking at our pre-season schedule and then it's on to Union City [the regular season opener on September 11th]. We won't look ahead because that's all we care about right now."

Fiore added that despite the lowly 2009 record, a new head coach, and perhaps tepid expectations, his goals remain the same.

"Everyone's goal is to get to Giants Stadium [for State Playoffs], especially this
year because it's brand new," smiled Fiore, who has seen post-season action in
eight of his 10 seasons. "I've never gone into a season not expecting the playoffs."

Of course rival teams have other plans for MHS and hope to pick on the young roster but Fiore said he's not worried at all.

"First off, coaching-wise, I'm new to the league, so [rival coaches] are probably calling up Shore coaches trying to find out what I do, trying to get film on my teams, and all that stuff," he said, adding some bravado. "But all they have to do is call me and I'll tell them."

Such machismo is a welcomed addition, according to the handful of observers in the
stands during Monday's workouts. Many welcomed this change ["no more guys milking little injuries or skipping practice but still getting to play on Saturdays," huffed one observer] and feel his credentials speak for themselves.

Fiore, who was once named "Coach of the Week" by the New York Giants during the
2004 season, said he's just thankful the powers-that-be took a shot on the football lifer.

"Montclair coming off a 3-7 season is not common, so I appreciate their faith," Fiore
said of the confidence Athletic Director John Porcelli and Principal James Earle
showed. "There was a committee to do the hiring and John Porcelli and Mr. Earle were the two who were in charged of it. Them being football guys made me getting this job easier because two great football coaches were in that room. I think I was the right age, had the right resume, the right interview, and the right skill-set in what they were looking to do."

If nothing else, MHS seemed to have made a seemingly smooth transition in the coaching ranks. Soon, an anxious Montclair Mountie fanbase will get to see how that all translates onto the field.