Whalen Steps Down at St. Rose

Following a season in which he guided St. Rose to the Shore Conference Girls Basketball Tournament championship and was named Shore Sports Network Coach of the Year Joe Whalen has resigned as the Purple Roses head coach.

Whalen officially submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday although rumors of his departure have been circulating for more than a week.

St. Rose went 26-4 this past season and routed St. John Vianney to win the SCT for the first time in Whalen’s five year tenure at the Belmar school. Their season ended with a loss to then top-ranked Rutgers Prep in the semifinals of the South Jersey Non-Public B Tournament which they captured in 2014 and 2015. In his five years at St. Rose he compiled an impressive record of 128-21.

With players like Elizabeth Marsciano, Lucy Thomas and Mikayla Markham returning St. Rose figures to be a championship contender in 2017-18 and the coaching vacancy should attract considerable interest. Whalen’s coaching staff included assistants Raheem Carter, Ali Baumlin and Christine Hatfield.

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