Mike Salvatelli is shown in the locker room during the Ridgers' state tournament run in 2022.
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The coaching transition was a smooth one.
Mike Salvatelli, who has been the assistant boys basketball coach at Glen Ridge High School for five years, recently was promoted to head coach of the team.
Salvatelli, a 2014 GRHS graduate, takes over for Rich Kennedy, another Glen Ridge alum, who stepped down as head coach after three seasons.
Salvatelli played for head coach Liam Carr and then coached under Carr in his first two years as an assistant.
High school teams in the state began tryouts on Monday, Nov. 20, and officially began practicing on Monday, Nov. 27.
Salvatelli expressed his excitement as the new Ridgers head coach.
“It feels awesome,” said Salvatelli in an interview on Thursday, Nov. 16. “It’s a great opportunity, a dream job of mine to have. I’m excited to get to work. We have a lot of returning guys and a lot of open spots, but also a lot of shoes to fill from last year. It should be an exciting opportunity for everyone.”
Salvatelli’s objectives also go beyond the performance on the court.
“For me, it’s all-around, the phrase we like to call, ‘educational-based athletics.’ I want guys that are not only performing on the court, but guys who are doing well in the classroom and they are involved in other things within the school community and are able to become better people in the four years that we get them here.
“In terms of on the court, we want to play more of our traditional Glen Ridge basketball,” Salvatelli continued. “We focus on defense, we focus on toughness in terms of playing full-court on defense and being smart and picking our chances to go on offense, anything we can do to get that competitive edge.”
Just two seasons ago, the Ridgers, with a senior-laden squad, enjoyed a magical run, as they won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state championship before finishing with a 20-8 overall record. Glen Ridge, which also won the Super Essex Conference–Independence Division championship with a 12-2 divisional record, won the state sectional title for the first time since the 1987-88 season.
Glen Ridge went through the rigors of a rebuilding season last winter and finished with three wins.
Photo Courtesy of Nic Chang
About the Author
