Former WC coach among upcoming inductees into SJ Basketball Hall of Fame

Posted: January 1st 1970

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

A former successful coach from Cape May County will be among the inductees into the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame over the winter.

Matt Tomlin, who directed the Wildwood Catholic High School girls basketball program to great accomplishments during his 16 years as head coach, will be honored by the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey at its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Feb. 1. The Carino Club made the announcement through a press release distributed this week.

Tomlin guided the Crusader girls basketball team from 1979 through 1994. The Crusaders went 309-106 during his tenure for a winning percentage of .745.

Tomlin, a 1954 graduate of Wildwood Catholic, helped his alma mater’s girls basketball program to three Cape-Atlantic League titles. His 1983-84 team, led by one of the best players in CAL history in Mary Gavin, won the South Jersey Non-Public B title. Gavin went on to play college basketball at Notre Dame, one of 20 players coached by Tomlin at Wildwood Catholic to play at the collegiate level.

Tomlin won seven different Coach of the Year Awards and was named by the Press of Atlantic City as its high school girls basketball Coach of the Decade for the 1980s.

Tomlin, who coached six 1,000-point scorers, was previously inducted into the NJSIAA Coaches Hall of Fame and the Wildwood Catholic High School/Academy Hall of Fame.

Tomlin and his wife, Janice, have four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. One of his grandsons, Tyler Tomlin, was a career 1,000-point scorer at Wildwood High School.

Tomlin is a retired school business administrator. He also previously served as a borough commissioner in Wildwood Crest, where he resides.

Tomlin is one of nine players, coaches and contributors set for induction on Feb. 1. Also among the inductees is former standout player Adrienne Rochetti-Ankola, who played at Sacred Heart High School under current Wildwood Catholic coach Steve DiPatri. Other inductees include players Lisa Cermignano (Gloucester Catholic), Michael Edwards (Eastern), Dan Ljoka (Lenape), Jasmine Martin (Timber Creek) and Julian Sanders (Shawnee), along with Harold Little (coach at Clayton, Highland, Lindenwold and Sterling) and Jim Carter (basketball official).

The induction ceremony will be held at the Holiday Inn in Cherry Hill. For ticket information or for more information about the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey Hall of Fame, log on to carinobasketballclub.org.

MATT TOMLIN