New Westfield head coach Matt Andzel (Source: @MatthewAndzel on Twitter)
With longtime football coach Jim DeSarno stepping off the football field and into administration – taking over for the retiring Sandra Mamary in June to be Westfield’s next Athletic Director – the Blue Devils have a new head coach.
DeSarno has decided to keep things in-house in naming Matt Andzel as the 13th head coach in the storied Westfield program’s history. Andzel has been the defensive line coach for Westfield, spending the past eleven seasons under DeSarno, and also played for the Blue Devils under Ed Tranchina from 1999-2001.
Despite the late date of the higher, having someone inside the program who’s been around the current players their entire careers, whether freshmen or seniors, would appear to be key to maintaining continuity. And for course, DeSarno will still be on campus as the AD.
Andzel played his college ball at The College of New Jersey, his final season being in 2006. In three seasons, he played in 18 games – ten of which came in 2005 – and had 29 career total tackles on the D-line, along with a pass breakup and three fumble recoveries.
DeSarno spent five years at Kinnelon – going 18-32 – before coming to Westfield, where he spent over two decades leading the Blue Devil program. He was 122-63 in that time, including an remarkable stretch where Westfield went 36-0 from 2015 through 2017, winning three North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 titles, all at Met Life Stadium, and all over Bridgewater-Raritan; Andzel was on the staff during that run.
Westfield went 6-5 in 2023, capping its season with a 28-9 win over longtime Turkey Day rival Plainfield, in one of the few remaining local rivalries still played on Thanksgiving.
Click below to hear new Westfield head coach Matt Andzel talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
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