THE LAST OF THE OLD-SCHOOL COACHES: JOE MONTANO AND THE DYING ART OF HIGH SCHOOL COACHING

There have been some great coaches who recently stepped away after long, successful careers. Each had their own style, both on and off the court. But when Jeff Jasper retired, it really hit me: we are entering a different era of high school basketball.

The true high school coach is becoming a dying breed. And the last one standing just might be Joe Montano of Red Bank Catholic.

There was a time when high school coaches did much more than coach basketball after school. They were mentors, role models, and sometimes almost like parents. They taught discipline, established standards, held players accountable, and prepared young people for life beyond the game.

Today, Joe Montano may be one of the few still carrying that tradition forward.

At RBC, there are standards. No special treatment because you are a star, have college offers, or are heavily recruited. You can be a great player, but you must be a great teammate first. There have been some “GREAT” players Joe Montano has passed on over the years. It’s clear Joe Montano prefers a certain type player. One who is humble and understands the name on the front means more than the name in the back.

The classroom matters. Respecting teachers, classmates, and school staff matters. You do not have to earn all A’s, but you must make an honest effort and conduct yourself with respect.

There is an RBC way of doing things. And nobody is bigger than the program.

Parents have opinions, as they do everywhere. But at RBC, the program has its own identity, its own expectations, and its own culture.

And that culture is not defined by championships, college scholarships, or the players who have gone on to the WNBA.

It is defined by one word: CLASS.

Coach Montano bleeds Green and Gold. He is the old-school coach who gives back to the entire school, not just the basketball program. His commitment to raising money and supporting the RBC community is part of a tradition that too many coaches have forgotten.

Old-school coaches did not make promises to players or sell them dreams. They taught them to work, to earn their opportunities, and to understand that the program comes before any individual.

Montano’s coaching tree is remarkable. Alisa Kresge, now head coach at the University of Richmond, played for him. Lisa Kukoda was his assistant before building Manasquan into a powerhouse. Haley Moore is at Vermont, and Kristen Danella has built a successful coaching career at the high school and college levels.

When Joe Montano calls a college coach, that coach knows an RBC player is prepared for more than basketball. She understands responsibility, discipline, academics, and what it means to represent a program.

That is the real value of a high school coach.

Montano has not allowed the AAU world, recruiting hype, or individual agendas to define his program. He still believes young people should become well-rounded individuals, not simply basketball players chasing the next offer.

With more than 800 wins, he is among New Jersey’s winningest active coaches and is chasing Jeff Jasper’s place in the state’s coaching history as the winningest coach coach ever.

But I doubt the record is what drives Joe Montano.

His legacy will not be measured only in victories. It will be measured in the lives he touched, the players he prepared, the standards he established, and the young people who left RBC better than when they arrived.

The old-school high school coach is disappearing.

Joe Montano represents what high school coaching was always supposed to be: teaching the game, building character, serving the school, and preparing kids for life.

And he my friends, is as old-school as it gets.