Football – Frank Edgerly resigns, Mike Lange named new head coach at Red Bank Catholic

Frank Edgerly has resigned as Red Bank Catholic football coach and Mike Lange has been hired as the Caseys new head coach, RBC athletic director Joe Montano told Shore Sports Network on Wednesday afternoon.

“I hired Frank at 25 and he took our program to a totally different level,” Montano said. “He brought in great assistants, including Jimmy Portela, and then came back and we won another state championship. I appreciate the job and the building of the program Frank did. With all honesty, Frank has aspirations of coaching at a higher level and we both decided at this point it would be best to make the change now.”

"Frank was very honest with me in that he wasn't going to be our longterm solution. I hope he goes out and finds success with his aspirations and I appreciate him putting the program first."

Lange was Red Bank Catholic’s defensive coordinator for the last two years as the Caseys had one of the Shore Conference’s top defenses. He was the RBC defensive line coach in 2017.

"You saw how good our defense was in that division last year," Montano said. "This wasn't just tapping somebody, we had a lot of conversations and put a lot of thought into it. Mike gives us an opportunity to have someone who knows the kids and can keep the ball rolling."

"We've had great continuity; five head coaches in 50 years. We have a brand we believe in and guys who stick with it. It's hard to find a good head coach and it's even harder to find a good staff, and I think we have a great staff who have been with both Jimmy and Frank. The goal was to promote from within so I can keep that staff together."

Lange played tight end and linebacker at Bishop Ahr High School in Edison, which is now known as St. Thomas Aquinas High School, before playing collegiately at Marshall University. He was an assistant at Bishop Ahr from 2000-2010 where he served as defensive coordinator and later offensive coordinator. He then coached at since-closed Cardinal McCarrick High School in South Amboy, including as the head coach during the final season in 2015.

"I'm honored and grateful and thankful for the opportunity," Lange said. "I owe a lot to Frank who brought me in here and I appreciate everything Joe and the administration have done. I'm looking forward to working with the kids and keeping the ball rolling."

Edgerly led the Caseys’ football program for a total of 14 seasons across two different tenures, amassing an 85-54 career mark that included five division titles and one state championship. He set the foundation on which RBC would become a Shore Conference powerhouse when he coached the Caseys from 1999-2008. Starting with a 6-4 season in 2004, the Casey have not had a losing season in 16 years. RBC went 8-2 and won the Liberty Division title in 2005, which was the program’s first division championship since 1989. The Caseys won back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008, including a 9-1 season in 2008, and went 31-9 with three division crowns from 2005 through 2008.

Edgerly left RBC after the 2008 season to take the job as the Director of Recruiting Operations at Rutgers University during head coach Greg Schiano’s first tenure. He then took a job as a scout with the New England Patriots where he stayed from 2009 to 2013. He was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2013 to 2016 and was also a consultant for Vanderbilt University.

Jim Portela took over as RBC head coach in 2009 to lead the Caseys through an unprecedented run. RBC went 61-13 from 2009 through 2015 with five division titles and the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 3 state championship in 2014.

Portela resigned in 2016 and a week later it was Edgerly who returned home to once again lead the Caseys. After a 5-5 season in 2016, the Caseys got back to their usual winning ways with an 8-2 season that included the Class B North division title. The leadup to the 2018 season was filled with hype and potential as the Caseys brought back most of their top players, including FBS recruits Steve Lubischer, Charlie Gordinier and Kevin Bauman. The Caseys did not disappoint, going 10-0 and winning the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 3 state title with a 14-10 win over Mater Dei Prep at MetLife Stadium.

The Caseys finished 5-4 this past season playing in the newly-formed American Division with fellow Shore Conference powers Toms River North, Rumson-Fair Haven, Manalapan, Middletown South and Long Branch.

Edgerly is a 1990 graduate of Red Bank Catholic where as a senior in 1989 he quarterbacked the Caseys to their first division title. He went on to play at Rutgers and graduated in 1994.

Edgerly did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

Since Lange was the defensive coordinator last season the scheme will not change. he said. Offensively, Edgerly was the play-caller of a pro-style system and with his departure, the Caseys will move to a spread, no-huddle attack.

Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.