Football: Greg LaCava Resigns at Colts Neck

Greg LaCava, who has presided over a record-setting stretch of Colts Neck football, said Tuesday that he has resigned after five seasons with the Cougars.

"It's just time for me to step down,'' LaCava said.

Colts Neck won a school-record 10 games this past fall and reached its first NJSIAA sectional final in program history, losing to Brick in the Central Jersey Group IV championship game. In 2012, the Cougars won what was then a school-record nine games and won their first state playoff game since 2000.

LaCava also coached Navy-bound senior Anthony Gargiulo, the school's all-time leader in rushing yards, touchdowns and tackles, and quarterback Mike Campbell set the single-season school record for passing yards as a senior in 2012.

"These past five years have been filled with memories that for my assistants, my players and myself will last a lifetime for us,'' LaCava said. "It's a great place to be part of. It was just time."

LaCava was previously the head coach at Allentown and has a career record of 44-60, which includes a 30-24 mark at Colts Neck, where the Cougars went a combined 19-4 the last two seasons.

LaCava is the fourth Shore Conference head coach to resign this month alone, joining Keyport's Mike Ciccotelli, Manchester's Gerard O'Donnell and Howell's Derek Reichenbecher. In addition to those four vacancies, there are also still unfilled openings at Neptune and Wall. There also are new coaches at Asbury Park (Bill Hill), Holmdel (Jay Graham) and St. John Vianney (Mark Ciccotelli).