Wrestling: Phillipsburg 'in the blood' for Gentzle

Brad Gentzle knew that he wanted to be a head wrestling coach at some point in his career, but it may have come a bit sooner than even he expected it to. 

However, after being approved as Phillipsburg's 13th head coach during Monday's Board of Education meeting, he's raring to go.

P'burg returns 10 starters for the 2021-22 season.

"I'm excited," Gentzle said during a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon. "Every day I've got things popping into my head."

The former Easton (Pa.) and University of Pittsburgh standout was among just three candidates who applied for the job when it opened up in early May. Former middle school coach and P'burg wrestler Tim Longacre, who also threw his hat in the ring, will be the No. 1 assistant on a staff that includes Bryan Kopesky and Jared Crouse -- two former Stateliner wrestlers.

Longacre, 48, was thought to be the odds-on favorite to become the next head coach when this process got underway last month following the arrests of former head coach Dave Post and longtime assistant Scott Silvis for their alleged roles in a scheme to influence a tenure vote at the school.

But when Gentzle, 34, made the decision to be the man in charge, Longacre was totally on board.

"For me everything is a personal decision," Gentzle said. "To be honest, I had put in to be an assistant in early May. It took me five to six weeks to get to that point [of applying to be the head coach]. It wasn't an easy decision. Ultimately it came down to the kids and what's best for the program."

Keeping the continuity with the kids and parents was instrumental in that, as well as having Longacre based at the high school.

"One of the concerns with any head coaching position is being in the building," said Gentzle, a seventh and eighth grade Social Studies teacher in the Pohatcong Township school district. "Having Tim in the building is huge."

Longacre, employed as a member of the career and technical education staff at the high school, will be a tremendous asset for Gentzle by being around the wrestlers during the day until he arrives for practice. The two are definitely on the same page -- coaches 1 and 1A, you may say.

Though Gentzle went to Easton and wrestled for Hall of Fame coach Steve Powell, the first to win 500 matches in PIAA District 11 history, he was born to be a Stateliner. His mom was a P'burg graduate and his father also kept stats for the football team. His brother, Don, also an Easton alum, is the junior varsity baseball coach for the Warren County school.

"I remember being 8 years old and bundled up in P'burg gear watching the Thanksgiving game at [Lafayette College's] Fisher Field," Brad Gentzle recalled, "and rooting for Phillipsburg. It's in my blood."

Longacre and most of the diehard P'burg wrestling fans have never considered Gentzle to be the "enemy" just because he wrestled for the Red Rovers. Nonetheless, it should add to the fun when the teams renew their rivalry for the 84th time on Jan. 25, 2002 at P'burg. Easton owns a 64-19 edge overall, but has lost five of the last seven meetings, including a 42-22 decision at home in 2020. 

The series had been continuous since 1947, but was interrupted last season due to the pandemic.

"Brad is a P'burg guy," Longacre said. "He gives 110 percent to this community. He's a surrogate son. I'm ecstatic that Brad has taken over the program and I'm looking forward to his reign."

Longtime Phillipsburg athletic director Tom Fisher on Tuesday said that hiring Gentzle as head coach was a "no-brainer."

Brad Gentzle (Facebook)

"The administration is overly supportive," Gentzle said. "I have a lot of respect for Fish. I coach lacrosse in the spring and I'm involved with football [as team statistician]. We've developed a good relationship. When I sat down with him about the [head wrestling job] it was the best conversation we ever had."

As Phillipsburg gears up for this weekend's Kalahari Duals in the Poconos, finding a replacement for Longacre at the middle school is next on the agenda. The 2021-22 high school schedule is set with matches at High Point (Jan. 10) and Southern (Jan. 29) upping the dual meet total to 15.

"We love wrestling Southern," Gentzle said. "That was made official [Wednesday]. I'm happy we're wrestling Warren Hills and Delaware Valley. I like our schedule."

Ending a two-year drought without a state placewinner -- the program's first since 1964-65 -- and claiming another Group 4 state title are also high on Gentzle's to-do list.

"I have a little different philosophy and will look to give [our wrestlers] more freedom to wrestle in positions where they are more comfortable. Once we establish their style, then we will fine-tune and work on the needed improvements.

"Nobody on this year's team has won a Group state title," added Gentzle, who will look to guide the 'Liners to their 23rd state championship and first since 2018. "That's especially important for these kids."

P'burg 2021-22 schedule

Dec. 17-18 -- at King of the Mountain Tournament 
Dec. 22 -- at Livingston
Dec. 28-29 -- Bethlehem Holiday Classic at Liberty (Pa.) High School
Jan. 4 -- Hunterdon Central
Jan. 6 -- Watchung Hills
Jan. 8 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament
Jan. 10 -- at High Point
Jan. 12 -- Ridge
Jan. 14 -- at Warren Hills
Jan. 19 -- North Hunterdon
Jan. 21 -- at Kittatinny
Jan. 22 -- Cranford
Jan. 25 -- Easton (Pa.)
Jan. 26 -- at Montgomery
Jan. 29 -- at Southern
Jan. 31 -- at Bound Brook
Feb. 2 -- at Hillsborough
Feb. 5 -- at Delaware Valley
Feb. 7 -- Sectionals first round
Feb. 9 -- Sectionals semifinals
Feb. 11 -- Sectional championships
Feb. 13 -- Group championships
Feb. 21 -- District 10 Tournament
Feb. 23, 25-26 -- Region 3 Tournament at West Orange
March 3-5 -- 89th State Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City
Notes: Bold indicates home events.