Phlip McGuane, longtime Dunellen resident, past assistant, to take over as Destroyer football coach

You could call Phlip McGuane a journeyman.

But you could also call him an excellent football coach, even if he’s coached in all three parts of New Jersey – North, South, and Central. (Yes, of course it exists!)

Now, the man who has lived in Dunellen for three decades is taking over as the head coach of the Destroyer football program, after Dave DeNapoli stepped down following 29 years as head coach back in early April. His hiring was approved by the Board of Education at its May 20th meeting.

McGuane came down from his native Masschussetts and started his coaching in Jersey at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, where he was an assistant for three years. He then became head coach at Whippany Park, spent 18 years as the head coach at South Plainfield, and was at Parsippany and New Egypt in between assistant gigs under DeNapoli.

He came back to become the head coach at Middlesex in 2022, and was there two seasons – going 11-8, including 7-2 in 2023 – before stepping down after a cancer diagnosis that he’s now gotten through. At the time, he said he felt okay, but didn’t want any treatments he might need to have to take away from his time with the team.

Now, at age 71 and with a clean bill of health, McGuane is back in the game.

He’s hit the ground running, taking a look at the strength program, retaining a couple of assistants, and recruiting more. And he’ll even use a scheme similar to the double-wing “offense in a phone booth” DeNapoli has used over the years.

Click below to hear new Dunellen football coach Phlip McGuane talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: