It’s a blank canvas in Ridgefield, and Keith Hartig is the man who is going to paint it.
Hartig, 36, has been approved as the new head football coach at Ridgefield, which has revived its program for the 2020 season after dropping the sport in 2018.
“My motto is 'Year One',” Hartig said Monday. “I know they haven’t had a high school team in two years, but in meeting some of the kids and being around town, I know there is a lot of interest in football and a lot of talent. I am hoping I can come in and influence the rec program and keep that interest going and establish a nice collaboration with them.”
“We are very excited to have Keith taking the reins as our head coach,” said Ridgefield athletic director Jon Duncan. “His passion and desire to be a head coach was undeniable, add to that his knowledge and excitement of his game and laid-back personality, and we knew he was the obvious choice.”
Hartig is a Ramsey native who was a starter on the Rams' 2002 sectional championship football team. He also lettered in basketball and baseball. After high school, he attended William Paterson, where he got his degree in Exercise Science.
His coaching career started early. He was still in high school when he began coaching youth basketball.
After working in the private sector, Hartig joined the staff at Waldwick/Midland Park as a volunteer, overseeing the offensive and defensive lines, and most recently, has held down multiple roles in the Fair Lawn football recreation program.
“I think kids will know and parents will see that I will get the kids as prepared as can be with the situation we are in,” Hartig said. “A lot of the kids I have met with I see some humbleness and uncertainty, because they don’t know who I am, and so they have a chip on their shoulder to prove something to me and the town because they are bringing something back.”
Ridgefield hasn’t won a varsity football game since 2014. The school bounced from JV to varsity status throughout the last decade. It last played a varsity schedule in 2016.
Last fall, school officials began private discussions with administrators from neighboring Palisades Park and Leonia about creating New Jersey’s first “tri-op” football program (Pal Park and Leonia are already merged) and approached the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for approval.
The matter was never voted on because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And when it was revealed that the New Jersey Interscholastic Conference was forming a six-team “Union Division” for programs that have struggled with participation, Ridgefield officials felt the school could have a standalone team and join that group. Union Division teams are ineligible for the state playoffs and will play a limited schedule.
Hartig said he’s hoping for 25 kids to take part in summer workouts that will begin with Phase 1 on July 13, and by the time the season begins to have close to 30. He adds that offensive coordinator Chris Costello has been a valuable asset as things get started.
“The identity is based on what the other coaches and I bring in, and that’s the exciting part,” Hartig said. “It’s a clean slate and we can bring the excitement back to the town, because it’s one of the greatest sports in the world in my opinion and being part of that and rebuilding, this is something I am looking forward to.”
Darren Cooper is a high school sports columnist for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.
Email: cooperd@northjersey.com Twitter: @varsityaces
"blank" - Google News
July 07, 2020 at 04:05AM
https://ift.tt/3f7B3Ot
New Ridgefield football coach Keith Hartig starts with truly clean slate - NorthJersey.com
"blank" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3aXU3fw
https://ift.tt/2Wij67R
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "New Ridgefield football coach Keith Hartig starts with truly clean slate - NorthJersey.com"
Post a Comment