When John Hack took the head coaching job at Voorhees two years ago, he told his athletic director the only other job he’d ever take would be in the his own home district, where he and his family live, up at Mendham.

Two years later, that’s where he’s headed.

Hack was approved Monday night by the West Morris-Mendham Board of Education to be the new head football coach at Mendham, replacing Ethan Jeros, who was not brought back following a 4-6 season. He was 26-25 in five years leading the Minutemen, making the playoffs the last four seasons, with no playoffs in 2021 due to the COVID-shortened campaign.

Hack told Central Jersey Sports Radio that he resigned on January 12th at Voorhees, where he guided the Vikings to an 8-2 record this past season and a Central Jersey Group 2 playoff berth behind a stout rushing attack led by senior Matteo Tramutola, who carried for 1,338 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to a Central Jersey Group 2 playoff berth.

The air-game was excellent, too, as senior Sam Meekings threw for 1,560 yards and 19 touchdowns to a talented corps of receivers, including Rylan Benitez (39 catches, 775 yards, 11 TD) and Logan Direny (28 catches, 408 yards, 4 TD), as well as junior Toby Dorr (20 catches, 233 yards, 2 TDs).

Hack says besides the fact he lives in the West Morris-Mendham district, the move also will give him an opportunity – in a few years – to coach his only son, who’s currently in the fifth grade. That means he plans to stay at Mendham a while, as long as they’ll have him.

He also says he was blown away by the administration at Mendham, and as many coaches know, you’re only as good as the people supporting you.

Hack was contacted about the job before Thanksgiving after the departure of Jeros. Prior to his arrival, Mendham had not had a .500 season or better since 2014, but Jeros told the local Observer-Tribune earlier back in January that he felt his coaching and leadership of the program had suffered the past two seasons. He’s a guidance counselor in Manville, which kept him from building the kind of relationships he wanted to at Mendham.

Hack is an Immaculata grad, who returned under the late Pierce Frauenheim in 2004 to coach the defensive line. He succeeded the legendary coach – the school’s original football coach dating back to the 1960s – and spent two seasons there in 2013 and 2014, going 9-12 in that span – before heading to Morris Catholic and coaching there from 2015 through 2023.

He then spent the past two years leading the Vikings up in Glen Gardner.

Click below to listen to John Hack talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: