Jim Whalen thrilled to be new Columbia HS baseball head coach

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – Jim Whalen recently was named the Columbia High School varsity baseball head coach.

Whalen grew up in Fort Lee and graduated from Bergenfield High School in Bergen County. He went on to play baseball at Montclair State University where he was a pitcher on the 2000 Division 3 national championship baseball team.

Whalen served as an assistant coach at West Essex High School for the last 15 years – the first five years as the junior varsity coach and the last 10 years as the varsity assistant. In 14 of those 15 years, Whelan said he had the privilege of coaching with one of the most prominent baseball coaches in the state of New Jersey, Scott Illiano.

“In our time together at West Essex, Coach Illiano and I were part of the most successful teams in school history,” Whalen said. “We won two Greater Newark Tournament championships, three North Jersey Group 2 sectional championships, two North Jersey Group 2 championships, the 2010 Group 2 state championship, and the 2010 Newark Star-Ledger Trophy as the No. 1 team in the state of New Jersey.”

Whalen has served as a coach for the Essex County team in the Essex/Union Underclass All-Star game for the last six years.

In addition to coaching baseball, Whelan has coached the middle school basketball team in Denville for 13 years, the middle school cross-country team for the last 15 years in Denville, and served as the county director for the greater Morris County races for the last 10 years.

Whalen, indeed, is excited to be the new Cougars baseball head coach.

“It is an honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the Columbia High School baseball team,” stated Whalen. “I am grateful for the opportunity to take over a program with such a rich history in Essex County baseball. Four GNT championships are evidence of such history. In 2010, when coaching at West Essex against Columbia in the GNT final, I saw first-hand the kind of enthusiasm the baseball program generated from the community by the enormous turnout of fans at the game. It excites me to be a part of such an environment.”

When West Essex hired its current coach, Whalen unfortunately was told he wouldn’t return since the current coach wanted an assistant at the school. So when the CHS head baseball coaching position was available, Whalen decided to pursue it. He was offered the position and accepted it.

Whalen can’t wait to start as the new Cougars head coach.

“I have felt for a number of years that I’m ready to be a head varsity baseball coach,” he stated. “I had also been blessed to have been able to coach with Scott Illiano at West Essex as long as I did. I had every intention to return next spring for my 16th season as a coach at West Essex. However, this past September, I was told by the coach at West Essex that he needed to have his assistant in the building and that I was not going to return as a coach. I then started to explore my coaching options for the upcoming season. I am grateful for the offers that I was given to coach from other districts. But when it became apparent that the head coach position was open at Columbia, I decided to pursue it. When one door closes, another one opens. Now starts a new chapter in my coaching career and I am excited about the opportunity to lead the Columbia baseball program moving forward.”

The Cougars last season had a 17-10 record and tied for the Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division title with Verona In 2015, CHS outright won the SEC-Liberty Division.