Hunterdon Central's search for only the fourth head coach in program history is over. And for the first time, the Red Devils have gone outside the ranks to find their new leader.
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| Manahan |
According to sources,
Ryan Manahan is leaving Cherry Hill East High School after just two seasons at the helm to take over one of the state's most storied programs, pending approval at Central's next scheduled Board of Education meeting on Monday.
Manahan, 26, who guided CHE to an overall mark of 15-37 in his first head coaching gig after serving as an assistant for one season at rival Cherry Hill West for the 2022-23 campaign, replaces
Jon Cantagallo-Rohm, who
resigned last month upon being hired as Mendham High School's supervisor of athletics and activities, effective July 1.
Manahan was a former Region 7 runner-up at Cherokee High School as a senior (2017) and a two-time district champion who went on to wrestle at The College of New Jersey. The young coach, who was also hired as a Health and Physical Education instructor, takes over the reins of a high-profile program for the first time -- one that's coming off the worst win-loss total in its 69-year history.
Hunterdon Central (4-19) endured its second losing season and first since going 12-13 in 2005-06, in. Cantagallo-Rohm's 11th and final season. He guided the Red Devils to an overall mark of 184-60, including four sectional (2015, '17, '19, '24) titles and three Group 5 runner-up finishes (2015, '17, '19), along with its only HWS Tournament championship in '24. He also oversaw a major milestone as Central captured its 1,000th win -- 46-30 over Washington Township on Feb. 15, 2020 -- joining Paulsboro and Roselle Park as the only other New Jersey schools to reach that mark. Phillipsburg, which won its 1,000th dual on Jan. 6, 2022, sits one victory behind Central (1,065) as the leaders among HWS programs. Delaware Valley will enter next season at 877, followed by Newton at 863 in 99 seasons. North Hunterdon (836), Warren Hills (829) and High Point (809) are the only schools to reach 800.
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| JCR (far left) with Washleski at the Beast of the East in 2024 |
Cantagallo-Rohm, who coached 93 district (42 champs), 53 region (13 champs) and 14 state placewinners, including
Brett Ungar who became Central's 13th and last state champion in 2019 before transferring to Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.) after that historic sophomore season. Cantagallo-Rohm succeeded
Steve Gibble (348-119 in 23 seasons) following the 2013-14 season. Legendary coach
Russ Riegel (533-89-6 in 35 seasons), a
four-time state finalist for Washington (Warren Hills) High School, founded the program in 1956.
Hunterdon Central is set to return 12 starters next season, including ace Rhett Washleski (41-5), the program's lone state qualifier this past season (seventh at 150 pounds) who is 111-15 overall and will enter his senior season needing 33 wins to surpass Hunter Graf (143-29 from 2014-18) as the school's all-time wins leader.
