GUIDED CARDINALS TO 62-20 RECORD IN 3 SEASONS,
BUT WAS NOT VALUED FOR A 4TH SEASON AND GIVEN NO REASON WHY
Pete Vasil went 62-20 as the Plainfield boys’ basketball coach the past three seasons.
Apparently it wasn’t enough for the Plainfield administration to keep him on.
Having to interview Wednesday for the position that he was so successful at, Vasil handed in his resignation, saying that, “he wanted no part of what was going on.”
When asked why he felt Plainfield needed to post his coaching position as “available” going back to May, Vasil said, “they would not give me a reason.”
“I asked the committee where they were coming from?” Vasil continued. “They wouldn’t answer.”
The position of boys’ basketball head coach was first posted on the Plainfield school website in late May. The advertisement found its way on the NJSIAA’s website on June 2.
Vasil, 45, continues to teach special-needs English at the school.
“I’m a people person and also a stand-up guy,” Vasil said. “I’ve never done anyone dirty.
“This program and players has my stamp on it. I would think when you post a job, A-you’re not recommending the present coach for re-hire or B-the person has resigned.
“If they wanted me out, they could have called me in the office and said so. I’ve had nothing but success here.”
In his three seasons as head coach, Vasil guided the Cardinals to a Watchung Conference title, the school’s first appearance in the Union County Tournament championship game since 1984 and one sectional final.
He also elevated the program to national status with a challenging non-conference schedule that well complimented a rough-and-tumble Watchung Conference slate.
His first team went 23-5 and beat Linden twice, including at the Dunn Sport Center in the UCT semifinals. His second team went 21-7, made it back to the UCT semifinals, reached the North 2, Group 4 semifinals and won a conference crown.
This past season’s squad, overcoming the loss of nine seniors to graduation and one key player to an injury, fashioned an 18-8 mark and was defeated at Linden in the semifinals.
Vasil went up against Linden and head coach Phil Colicchio eight times in three seasons, all games memorable and often with something on the line. It was a budding Watchung Conference rivaly that – now – no longer exists.
“I applaud him for what he did,” Colicchio said. “I didn’t know that high school sports were to be treated the same way for winning as college and pro sports.”
Vasil did well to go 3-5 vs. Linden, which was a team that won Group 4 in 2006 and 2007, the UCT in 2007 and in 2008 reached the North 2, Group 4 final for the fourth consecutive year.
“He had the self pride to step away and resign and I think that’s great,” Colicchio said. “It shows character. He didn’t allow for himself to be stepped on.”
Not many coaches can say that they beat a quality Linden squad that many times in that short of a span.
“I think he did a great job at Plainfield,” Colicchio said. “What I think hurt him was that he didn’t beat us in big spots.”
When asked if he thought Plainfield sought to terminate his coaching tenure because he failed to guide the Cardinals to a county, section or state championship or because this past season’s squad only finished 18-8, Vasil said, “no, it goes much deeper than that. It’s inappropriate business.”
“When did high school change?” Colicchio said. “Pete kept his kids respectful on the court, there were no problems with referees and he got kids into college.
“That’s what our jobs as educators and coaches are all about. From the outside, he appeared to be doing the job to the best of his ability.”
This is how much Vasil wanted nothing to do with what transpired, “I used the interview process to get out when I wanted to get out,” he said. “I had my resignation right there.”
Vasil wishes nothing but success for whomever gets the job.
“We created and sustained a great deal of success,” Vasil said. “This is a state-championship caliber program. The big thing here was that I got my players to respond.
“I’m a very, very competitive guy and love competition. We never ducked anyone here. I embraced this city. A lot of people supported me. There was a lot of goodness.
“I’m a city guy. I grew up in Worcester, Mass., which is five times the size of Plainfield. I had a healthy coach-player relationship. Two of my former players – Anthony Nelson and Jerrell Thompson - both called me last night to tell me how disgusted they were over the situation.”
The Watchung Conference is arguably the toughest basketball league in the state. The UCT is almost impossible to win, with St. Patrick’s making the final every year now since 1993 and winning the thing 11 times since then. The section North 2, Group 4 speaks for itself as far as how difficult it is to navigate through with standout teams from Essex, Union, Middlesex and Somerset counties included.
For a coach to win 75 percent of his games going up against that kind of competition over a three-year span, well, most coaches would absolutely be beside themselves to be that successful.
Obviously, something is not right here.
Vasil has not ruled out coaching again and immediately.
“If the right opportunity comes my way as far as a high school situation, it would have to be a job that I would seriously consider running out my coaching career with,” said Vasil, who was also the head coach at Clifton and Bloomfield College. “It would have to be a position that would last me until I retire. It would be a job that I would be looking to finish my coaching tenure up with.”
Vasil has also not ruled out going back to being a college coach.
“Whatever job out there would have to be in the best interests of my family, my wife and kids,” Vasil said. “I’ve already heard from a lot of colleges. I have a lot of connections and have not ruled that out.”
Vasil took his teams to California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and came back to New Jersey much better from the competition.
“We traveled 3,000 miles to compete in the Surf N Slam and won the thing, with Nelson being the MVP,” Vasil said.
Many of his players were able to continue playing at the next level, including Nelson at Niagara and Thompson at Sacred Heart.
“One out of 30 high school seniors go on to play at the Division 1, 2 or 3 level,” Vasil said. “We had some talented kids here who were able to go on and play in college and be successful.”
Vasil earned coach of the year honors three times for the 2005-2006 season, including from Mike Kinney at The Star-Ledger, Terence Johnson at his Watchung Conference website and from Colicchio at the Union County Coaches dinner.
“Phil supported my decision and I have a lot of respect for him,” Vasil said. “He realized that I had my players at Plainfield for a shorter period of time than his players at Linden.
“When we played them in the county semifinals in 2006 at the Dunn Center, that is a game I will always remember for how great it was to battle his team in that kind of setting.
“That was a proud moment, just as this year was when we were able to go 18-8 after losing nine seniors. We had one veteran back and still went out and played good teams and beat good teams such as Linden and Paterson Catholic.”
“Plainfield and Linden had very talented kids on the court and it would be a rivalry game no matter who was coaching,” Colicchio said. “It just so happened it was me for Linden and him for Plainfield these last three years.
“It was pretty amazing that there were five Division 1 guards (LJ McGhee, Darrell Lampley and Desmond Wade from Linden and Nelson and Thompson from Plainfield) on the court from towns so close to each other.
“Pete stuck by his principals and values. I don’t know many people that would have done that.”
It might be OK for Michigan-Ohio State, North Carolina-Duke or Yankees-Red Sox if, indeed, Plainfield did not want Vasil back because he didn’t “win the big game.”
That should not be OK for Plainfield-Linden.
If it is, then we have to re-examine what’s being done with high school athletics.
Vasil would like to thank the following coaches for how they took care of his players during competition this month: Erskine Rowe (varsity assistant), BJ Hamby (assistant coach and JV coach), Art Pierson, Anthony Graham, Terrance Johnson and Antwan Johnson.
“They kept the players going in June,” Vasil said.
Plainfield players competed in the Hoop Group Showcase and made the Final Four and also participated in the Rutgers Elite Invitation Only Team Camp, the Jersey City Summer League and the St. Peter’s Team Camp.
PETE VASIL’S 62-20 RECORD AT PLAINFIELD
2007-2008: (18-8)
1-2 vs. Linden
reached UCT quarterfinals
reached N2, G4 semifinals
2006-2007: (21-7)
0-2 vs. Linden
reached UCT semifinals
reached N2, G4 semifinals
won Surf N Slam Holiday Tournament
in California
won Watchung Conference-American Division title
2005-2006: (23-5)
2-1 vs. Linden
reached UCT final for first time since 1984,
falling to St. Patrick’s at Dunn Center
reached N2, G4 final,
falling to Linden at Dunn Center
finished second in Watchung-American to Newark East Side
VASIL PLAYERS TO CONTINUE IN COLLEGE
Anthony Nelson, Niagara – All-MAC Rookie Team
Jerrell Thomspon, Sacred Heart
Raafiq Carnegie, Globe Junior College in Staten Island
John Strickland, Coastal, Ga. Junior College
Aquil Smith and Rafael Carnegie, Montclair State
Kenny Miller and Andre Rose, Kean
and then Rose, Bergen Community College
Steve Babatunde, Centenary
