27-year-old hired as new Palisades Park/Leonia football coach

Former Montclair State assistant Jon Koonce has been named new head football coach for the Palisades Park/Leonia co-op program.

The 27-year-old Cliffside Park native was approved by the Palisades Park Board of Education on Wednesday night. He takes over for T.J. Kroncke, who won eight games in his four-year tenure with the Tigers, including a 3-4 record last fall.

Koonce is currently working as a substitute teacher and aide in Cliffside Park, a role he will expects to assume at Palisades Park while he works on getting his teaching certification. He plans on meeting with players from both towns to share his message in the coming days.

“Football is a game and it’s fun, but it’s a lot more fun when you win, and the only way to get those wins is to work your tail off,” Koonce said. “If you want to enjoy September through November, then you have to work in March in the weight room and you have to work in July in the summer. That hard work will pay off.”

The Koonce File

Koonce was a two-way lineman at Cliffside Park before attending Montclair State, where he was an All-Conference center.

After graduating with his degree in humanities, he was offered a spot on the Red Hawks' coaching staff. He worked with tight ends, offensive linemen and running backs.

Koonce had connections with Tigers assistants Omar Morales and AJ Scoppa, who told him about the opening. Koonce said the job lined up perfectly.

“One of the biggest things I pitched in the interview is that this is not just about the game of football, coaches can talk Xs and Os all day, but this is about getting ingrained in the community of the towns,” Koonce said. “I had experience as a recruiter at Montclair State and now it will be getting kids out of the hallways to come play.”

The co-op challenge

Pal Park/Leonia is North Jersey’s original football co-op, beginning play as a combined team in 2000. The Tigers have reached the playoffs three times since, and made the sectional final in 2012.

The program is made up of two schools and three towns (students from Edgewater attend Leonia High School), so Koonce's first charge is getting everyone on board. Not being in the building at Leonia consistently also makes it hard to get potential players from there out for the team.

But Koonce is undaunted. He knows the Tigers bring back a lot of experienced players and said he's eager to get started.

READ MORE:High schools want coaches who work in the building, but it's becoming harder to find

Playing Union ball

The Tigers play in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference’s Union Division, a carve-out for schools with low participation numbers that are trying to restore their programs. The schools in the Union Division aren’t eligible for the state playoffs, but can advance to the Union Division title game.

Koonce knows firsthand what it’s like to go into a game outmanned. When he was at Cliffside Park, the Red Raiders often faced teams with healthier numbers. Koonce said he likes the Union Division concept, but hopes the Tigers can move out one day.

“I think it’s 100 percent a great opportunity for the kids, losing 40-0 is not great for either team, even the team that wins doesn’t get anything out of it,” He said. “It’s so much better to go out and have a chance to compete every week and we have our own playoffs at the end. I hope one day we can work the program where we don’t have to be in this place, but I think it’s a great way to give kids a chance to compete.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jon Koonce hired as new Palisades Park/Leonia football coach