Donovan Catholic Names New Football Coach

TOMS RIVER, NJ – The Donovan Catholic football team has a new mentor.

Thomas Tarver, an administrator at Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson Township, has been named the Griffins’ new head football coach, succeeding coach Dan Duddy, who stepped down in November after 10 seasons.

Tarver’s hiring was announced Monday by Donovan Catholic athletic director Joe Gomulka and Dr. Edward Gere, the principal of the school in Toms River.

Tarver has been a head coach at Manalapan High School, coaching the Braves to a 21-21 record and a trip to the team’s first sectional final in 2003. Before his head-coaching tenure at Manalapan, he was an assistant coach for the Braves, and also served as an assistant at Lakewood and at Freehold Borough high schools.

Tarver played starting quarterback for the Jackson Jaguars from 1984-1986 where he went 32-7 for the Jaguars and led the team to the No. 1 ranking in the Shore Conference in 1985. He played football on scholarship at Rutgers, earning the starting quarterback position in 1990.

Tarver’s strong desire to get back on the field coaching, his love of football, the dedication he shows to academics and the scholar athlete, and his faith-filled beliefs, made him a perfect choice for Donovan, Gomulka and Gere said.

Donovan Catholic has embedded in its curriculum the Cathletes for Christ program started by Duddy, and a Christian Service requirement that all student-athletes participate in.

“Coach Tarver will be an asset to our school and a great role-model for the boys and all our students,” Gere said.

(Photos by Donovan Catholic: Dr. Edward Gere, principal of Donovan Catholic with new head football coach Tom Tarver. Some of the Donovan Griffins returning football team members meet Coach Tarver for the first time. (L to R) sophomore Myles Jackson; junior Don Rappocccio, Coach Tom Tarver, sophomore Charles Scheideler, and junior Tyler Citta)