Bloomfield Tech coach Nick Mariniello, one of the most accomplished high school coaches in the state of New Jersey, has decided to step down after nine years.
Mariniello has always been a class act and one of our favorite coaches to deal with.
“I have resigned from my positon as head boys basketball coach at Bloomfield Tech,” Mariniello, 41, said. “I have a great sense of pride, accomplishment and gratitude. I want to thank my former players, my current players and my assistant coaches, Ken Pignatello, Joe Macchi and Derrick Bobbitt. I want to thank them for their support and dedication to the program.
“I also want to thank my athletic director, Dan Romano, and the superintendent, Dr. Michael Pennella, for their strong leadership. I’ve had a lot of rewarding experiences and infinite memories, and I’m most proud of what we accomplished as a program and the success of the student-athletes on and off the court. God willing this is not the end of my basketball career but rather the time for a change.
“I just felt it was time for me to move on.”
Mariniello had a career record of 186-50. He led the Spartans to four Group 1 state titles, two Tournament of Champions finals and one Essex County championship. He was named the New Jersey Coach of the Year in 2002-3 by the Star-Ledger. Mariniello was also the MSG Tri-State Coach of the Year in 2006-7. The Spartans were nationally ranked by USA Today in 2003-4 and in 2005-6 they finished 17th in the nation.
In 2007, Mariniello was named the head coach of Sonny Vaccaro’s original Roundball Classic. A year later, he was a head coach in the Jordan Brand Regional Game at Madison Square Garden.
Mariniello has sent 10 players to the Division I and II ranks, including Casiem Drummond of Villanova, Da’Sean Butler of West Virginia, Rashon Dwight of Iona, Wesley Jenkins of St. Peter’s and RJ Hall of Marist.
As for his future plans, Mariniello said: “I’m going to be a fan. I’m going to stay involved in some capacity. I’m going to see what happens.”
