Former North Jersey basketball coach seeing March Madness up close with Princeton
FDU might be gone, but Bergen County isn’t done in March Madness.
Just check out the first chair on the Princeton basketball bench. It’s filled by Chris Mongilia, a Dumont native and former North Jersey basketball coach, who has been the Tigers' director of men’s basketball operations since 2017.
Mongilia, 35, will have the best seat in the house Friday night when the Tigers take on sixth-seeded Creighton in the Sweet 16 in Louisville.
Everyone keeps asking Mongilia about the ride the Tigers are on. No. 15 seeds don’t make the Sweet 16 every day (Princeton is the fourth all time). He’s not quite sure how to answer.
“I can equal part believe it and equal parts say it still feels like a dream,” Mongilia said. “You know, you work for this for so long in this business and some people will never get there, but you always think it’s possible. This group, we have always believed we were capable of making a run.”
Changing the family business
Chris is the son of longtime North Jersey football coach Babe Mongilia, who worked at Dumont, Cliffside Park and Palisades Park, among others.
But Chris didn’t get into the football business. Basketball was his game.
“Everything Chris has done, it’s his mother’s doing,” Babe said. “She is the staple of the family. While I was helping other kids coaching football, Karen was making sure Chris was on the right path.”
That doesn’t mean the old football coach doesn’t have opinions. Chris laughs when he remembers his parents would come to Princeton for a Friday-Saturday league doubleheader (the Ivy League does that to reduce travel), and his dad would stay up and watch the replay of Friday’s game and then give Chris his opinions.
“I have the best family,” Chris said. “Dad really is a full-time Princeton Tiger basketball fan.”
“I give my two cents, but I know nothing about basketball,” Babe said, laughing. “We’re excited. It’s a special time and we are enjoying the ride.”
The job is play − and work
The director of men’s basketball operations is a job that means a lot of different things. Chris is sort of a coach, but not officially. Tigers coach Mitch Henderson will ask for his insights, but it’s not like Chris is calling out offensive sets when the Tigers run down the floor.
Chris is responsible for the Tigers' schedule. He scouts. He recruits. At this point in the NCAA Tournament, the NCAA has the hotel rooms all set aside, but that doesn’t mean Chris isn’t busy. There’s media to talk to, and academic responsibilities for the players must be taken care of.
One of the first things Chris talks about is how much he enjoys the various roles his job brings, including the chance to meet with the team – just him – and mentor them.
“The thing about Princeton and the job I have is I get to work with these really remarkable student-athletes,” Chris said. “You get to watch them play on the national stage for two hours and see how they perform, but I get to see them go through the process and the adversity they have gone through and the best part of the job is watching them grow.”
Cinderella Tigers
It’s been a remarkable March Madness. Princeton is the lowest seed remaining in the Big Dance, and the best New Jersey story now that Fairleigh Dickinson is out.
“It was amazing,” Chris said about FDU beating No. 1 seed Purdue. “There is such pride in New Jersey basketball. I am from Dumont and you know the Rothman Center is right down the road. I grew up going to the Jamboree. It was cool to see them make that run.”
Chris talks about how the Tigers responded after blowing a 19-point lead to Yale in the regular season. To him, that comeback fueled this charge, and he also believes that parity in the sport is a real thing now.
“It’s fascinating to know that this is the maddest March Madness has ever been,” Chris said. “I think it’s between the coaching and the players and the transfer portal creating these upsets that are interesting to think about. It’s great for college basketball. We know fans love a good upset.”
The Dance goes on
Creighton is a No. 6 seed that got blown out in the Big East Tournament semifinals by Xavier but rebounded in the NCAA Tournament, beating NC State and Baylor without too much trouble. Chris says the Blue Jays can't be overlooked.
“They were preseason No. 9 in the country, at one point they were in the Top 10, they have the Big East Player of the Year [Ryan Kalkbrenner],” Chris said. “I don’t know if we got lucky, but we will give it our best shot. I like our chances to stay in there and make it a game at the end.”
Typical coachspeak. Let’s ask Babe what he thinks.
“Are you ready?” Babe said. “First of all, they have to double-team the big guy. Creighton is very physical, well-coached and disciplined. I’d have to say they’re a mirror image of Princeton right now. They play tough.”
Chris will be in the first seat seeing every moment up close. He’s as close to the Madness as anyone can get.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Chris Mongilia: Former North Jersey coach in the mix with Princeton
