by Mike Pavlichko
Following a nine-year run as head coach at South Plainfield, Gary Cassio has announced his resignation, in order to spend more time with his family.
Cassio made the announcement Thursday, and spoke with Central Jersey Sports Radio about the decision, in an interview you can hear below.
Cassio’s tenure was highlighted by a surprise trip to the Central Jersey Group 3 title game in 2016, where his third-seeded Tigers – a heavy underdog led by QB Ryan Marston thousand-yard sophomore running back Zach DelVecchio – went toe-to-toe with top-seeded Rumson Fair-Haven, falling 27-22.
Cassio was 40-47 overall, making the playoffs in four of his nine seasons, with a 4-4 record in postseason play, but was just 2-12 over the past two seasons, including 1-4 in a COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
The Tigers did manage to beat rival North Plainfield three times, the first of which came in 2014, Cassio’s third year, snapping a 12-year drought in the series against the Canucks.
Click below to hear our one-on-one interview with Gary Cassio, discussing what led to his decision, and what he’ll remember about his time in South Plainfield.