Zach Gega – who was Offensive Coordinator when he represented East Brunswick at Big Central Media Day back in August – is the Bears’ new head coach. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
As it looks for stability in the football program – which was thrown into chaos this summer when the Board of Education declined to bring back Andy Steinfeld just two weeks before preseason camp was to start – the panel is expected to approve the promotion of Offensive Coordinator Zack Gega to become the Bears’ next head coach at its regular meeting Thursday night.
Gega’s name is on the Board of Education Agenda for Thursday’s meeting, which was posted online Wednesday afternoon.
An assistant under Steinfeld, Gega’s hiring could bring some consistency to the program after the former coach’s dismissal. In the quick turnaround after Steinfeld was let go, Offensive Coordinator Matt Pazinko took over for the year as interim head coach. Gega was the OC this past season.
Pazinko, himself, initially applied for the position, but later withdrew, and told CJSR this week he’d love to remain on staff if he’s asked to.
Steinfeld went 18-28 in five seasons as head coach, including 8-4 the year after COVID – not an easy task considering how much the pandemic season cost teams in games played and experience – and went 16-11 in his first three seasons before going 1-8 in 2022, and 1-9 in 2023.
This year’s squad went 2-8, with wins over Hamilton and South Brunswick.
Gega played high school football at Woodbridge under Brian Russo, then Bill Nyers, graduating in 2013, but injuries prevented him from going to play at college. While a junior at Kean, he joined Joe LaSala’s staff at Woodbridge, and was there through the 2020 COVID-shortened season – including the Barrons’ 2019 run to the North 1 Group 4 title game – before coming to East Brunswick to work under Steinfeld.
In a bit of irony, longtime former football coach Marcus Borden – who won two state championships with the Bears in the 2000s – is also on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting. A Spanish teacher at the high school, Borden – who also is Central Jersey Sports Radio’s high school football analyst – the Board is expected to accept his retirement, effective at the end of the school year.
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.