After more than two decades of coaching in Cape May County, Frank Riggitano moves to Atlantic County school as new head football coach

Posted: June 17th 2026

Former longtime Middle Township High School football coach Frank Riggitano, shown here coaching the Panthers in a scrimmage prior to the 2023 season, is the new head football coach at Buena.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

After more than two decades on the sidelines as the head football coach at Middle Township High School, Frank Riggitano spent last season as an assistant coach at Wildwood, mostly working from the press box during games.

The veteran coach is now returning to the sidelines as a head coach for an Atlantic County High School.

Riggitano, who was the head coach at Middle Township High School for 22 seasons overall over two different stints before resigning following the 2023 season, is the new head football coach at Buena Regional High School. Riggitano was approved for the position at Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting of the Buena Regional School District Board of Education.

Riggitano brings a career head coaching record of 111-110 to Buena. 

“It took the year off after I stopped at Middle and then when I helped out at Wildwood last year it kind of rekindled the spirit and drive that I have to coach,” Riggitano said. “I had such a good experience at Wildwood. I hate leaving those kids and everyone there because I had such a tremendous relationship with everyone there. I was never going to leave Wildwood to become an assistant somewhere else. But this was an opportunity to restructure a staff and get young people involved and mentor them and try to rebuild a program.

“Just the fact that I get to run a program again in the greatest game in the world  and help young people has me excited to get going. And obviously I couldn’t do it without the support of my family, so that’s a huge piece of it, too.”

Riggitano was first a head football coach at Middle from 1989 through 2000. He resigned from the position to become the school’s athletic director but returned as the program’s head coach in 2012. Middle enjoyed some of its best success under Riggitano over his final three seasons as head coach, the Panthers going 21-9 with three state playoff berths and a West Jersey Football League division title over that span.

Overall, Riggitano led Middle to seven state playoff appearances, including the school’s first ever in 1994.

Riggitano is a retired educator after a long career at Middle Township that saw him serve the school as a teacher, athletic director and principal.

Buena, traditionally one of the Cape-Atlantic League area’s top small-school football programs, has struggled a bit in recent seasons. The Chiefs finished 3-5 last season but won their final two games. Close to 20 seniors are expected to return.

“It’ll be slightly different at Buena. It’s a different atmosphere,” Riggitano said. “I’ll always cherish my time at Middle. I had some of the greatest times of my life there and my experiences throughout the whole educational process there were great. But Buena’s different. It’s always been a strong football and wrestling community and they have an unbelievable booster club that does an awful lot for their kids.”

Riggitano said Buena’s recently upgraded facilities, which include a new locker room and turf field, also were a factor in leading him to become interested in coaching there.

“They have things there that any coach would hope to have,” he said.

Riggitano said two of his former Middle assistant coaches, the father-son duo of Sam Caraballo and Dom Caraballo, are expected to help him at Buena. He said some other strong assistant coach candidates are also interested.

Riggitano said he is not seeking to coach at Buena for a long period of time.

“The people at Buena are incredible,” he said. “They know I’m not a long-term solution or the long-term person for this. But I’m excited for this. I’m going to give it 100 percent and with the people that are going to be involved with me, we’ll try to mentor a younger person who’s football savvy to eventually take it and run with it. This is a great opportunity not only for me but for the people that are going to be involved with me and for us to help the kids and the program.”