MTHS promotes respected assistant to take over football program

Posted: January 1st 1970

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

Middle Township High School did not wait long to find its new head football coach.

Gavin Liepe, who had been an assistant in the program for three seasons, was approved as the school’s new head football coach at the Middle Township Board of Education regular monthly meeting on Thursday.

Liepe (pronounced LEEP-ee) replaces Frank Riggitano, who resigned shortly after the season ended in late October after leading the program for 22 seasons total over two different stints. Riggitano, Cape May County’s all-time leader in high school football head coaching victories, finished with a career record of 111-110. The team finished 7-3 in 2023, completing a three-year stretch during which the program won 21 of 30 games and qualified for the state playoffs all three times.

Liepe, 25, a physical education teacher in the school district’s middle school, was a standout football player at Holy Spirit High School, graduating in 2017. He went on to play four seasons of college football, one at Christopher Newport and three more at The College of New Jersey. Liepe also played professional football in Germany for two seasons.

“We are pleased to introduce Gavin as our next head football coach,” Middle Township High School athletic director Josh McCarty said in a statement. “He brings with him a strong football pedigree, having played in college and also professionally overseas. We look forward to Coach Liepe building upon the continued success of the Panther football program.”

GAVIN LIEPE

Liepe first arrived at Middle as an assistant while he was a student teacher in the district. He was able to help coach when his TCNJ season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After later completing his eligibility at TCNJ and playing overseas, he rejoined Middle’s staff for the past two seasons.

Liepe credited his former high school coach at Holy Spirit, the late Bill Walsh, for steering him toward becoming a football coach.

“When I was at Spirit, whenever I was asked what I wanted to do in the future, it was always this,” Liepe said. “I always wanted to come back to this area after college and whatever other endeavors I got involved in and be a head football coach somewhere in Cape May or Atlantic county. A big part of that was my time at Holy Spirit under Bill Walsh. He had a very significant impact on my life. He inspired me to follow in his footsteps, and I want to accomplish the same kinds of things he did. He’s a huge reason why I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Liepe’s appointment as head coach comes as no surprise to those around Middle’s program. Riggitano himself identified Liepe as a strong candidate to be his eventual replacement after Liepe first came into the program as an assistant coach.

Liepe, who served as defensive coordinator last season, said he feels honored to follow in Riggitano’s footsteps.

“It’s evident that Frank has established a phenomenal tradition here,” he said. “He’s been kind of the face of Middle Township football. From the moment I met him, we had a really strong, positive relationship. We think similarly about a lot of things. He’s such a positive and kid-first type of guy. With him being here as long as he has been, it’s an honor for me to be put into this position. And I realize for the administration and everyone involved in hiring me, they’re putting a great deal of trust in me because of how well Frank did this job.”

While Middle loses quite a few seniors to graduation, there are some rather talented players returning. Junior running backs Remi Rodriguez and Shaun Watkins combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards in 2023. Junior linebacker Micah McAnaney was second on the team in tackles and picked off two passes. Junior Maurice Matthews was one of the top two-way linemen in the team’s division. Junior Jaedin McGaha is another impact lineman, particularly on defense. And junior kicker Justin Verity made 24 of 28 extra-point tries.

“I feel really good about our roster,” Liepe said. “Something that I think a lot of people are overlooking is, not only do we have two of the best players around on offense coming back but we also have some really good players coming back on defense and at other positions.”

Liepe said he hopes to retain some of the assistant coaches that previously served in the program, while also adding a few others.

“I know I’m going to have a lot of good people surrounding me,” he said. “A big part of that is the administration having my back ever since I got here.”