Football | 8/19/2013 1:53:00 PM
Montclair, NJ – Longtime assistant coach Rich O'Connor will be honored for his outstanding coaching achievements as the football and former baseball assistant is among the newest inductees into the Newark Hall of Fame.
O'Connor will be a part of the 25th Anniversary Class to be enshrined on Thursday, October 24. He becomes the fourth Montclair State head coach to be selected for induction joining head football coach Rick Giancola, softball head coach Anita Kubicka and head men's basketball coach Ted Fiore. Current football assistant Poochie Hill is also inducted for his achievements in the sport of boxing.
It will be the third Hall of Fame honor for O'Connor as he is also a member of the St. Mary's High School (Rutherford) and Essex County Football Coaches Halls of Fame. In addition, he was a recipient of the Coaches Award from the Essex County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
O'Connor is in his 31st season as an assistant with the Red Hawk football team serving as the offensive coordinator, a position he has held for the past decade. In his tenure the Red Hawks have qualified for five postseason appearances, including three NCAA Playoffs berths in 2009 and 2010. In addition two of Montclair's quarterbacks have been named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Prior to taking over as offensive coordinator, O'Connor served as offensive backfield and special teams coach where he guided many talented tailbacks in his career, including the top two names on the all-time rushing list - John Walker and Ron Lewis (the two combined for over 6,000 yards in their careers.) Equally as important to O'Connor were the MSU special teams units, which had been among the best in the NJAC year in and year out.
Since joining the football staff in 1983, Montclair State has won 10 New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and has earned 15 postseason bids.
O'Connor also spent 18 seasons on the diamonds of Pittser Field and Yogi Berra Stadium with the MSU baseball team as Associate Head Baseball Coach for MSU Hall of Fame inductees Kevin Cooney and Norm Schoenig. During that time, Montclair captured six NJAC championships and participated in the NCAA Division III World Series on nine occasions winning the national championship three times (1987, 1993 and 2000).
O'Connor coached high school football for eight years at St. Mary's High School in Rutherford, winning a State championship in 1976, St. Joseph's Regional High School in Montvale, Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair and East Orange High School where he was also the Director of Athletics. As head baseball coach at St. Mary's, the team won the Parochial C State Championship in 1977.
He also coached baseball at Ramapo College for four years helping the Roadrunners to four NCAA Tournament appearances.
A graduate of the University of Bridgeport, O'Connor played both football and baseball earning his bachelor's degree in Physical Education. He later received his master's degree in Supervision and Administration from Seton Hall University.
Originally from Newark, O'Connor graduated from Waldwick High School and currently resides in Nutley with his wife of 38 years, Charlene. They have a son Michael, recently married to Kristy Tomassi.
