Saint Joe’s Appoints Karl Towns, Sr. as Head Basketball Coach

METUCHEN, NJ - Saint Joseph High School is excited to announce the appointment of Karl Towns, Sr. P’14 as the school’s next head basketball coach.

The 2003 NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 1 Championship coach at Piscataway Vocational and Technical School, returns home to the school where he watched his son, Karl-Anthony ‘14, turn into a national superstar. 

“It is my pleasure to welcome home Karl and the rest of the Towns family,” Saint Joseph High School President John G. Nolan, Jr. P’09 said. “We are very excited to have such an accomplished teacher of the game as our next head coach. Karl’s ability to get the most out of every player is obvious to everyone that has ever watched him coach. However, his focus on building well-rounded student-athletes is even more important. We can’t wait to watch Karl bring Saint Joe’s basketball back to glory.”

Towns will be introduced as head coach during a press conference on Wednesday, June 12 at 1 p.m.

In 15 seasons as the head coach at Piscataway Tech, Towns led the Raiders to four Greater Middlesex Conference Gold Division championships, along with the 2003 NJSIAA section title. He amassed a 177-162 record in 15 seasons, creating a “freewheeling but tough-minded” style of play.

Towns returned to the coaching ranks this past winter as a volunteer assistant coach at Kean University under Saint Joseph Athletic Hall of Fame coach Dave Turco. He previously coached under Turco during the 2017-2018 season at Middlesex County College. 

“I am very excited to be back home at Saint Joe’s,” Karl Towns, Sr. said. “This is a very coveted job for me because of the memories I have of watching Karl and the 2013-2014 Falcons establish themselves as one of the best basketball teams in New Jersey history. While it is impossible to predict similar success, we will stop at nothing to ensure Saint Joe’s basketball continues producing talented, well-rounded student-athletes on and off the floor.”

Since stepping down from Piscataway Tech following the 2014 season, Karl Sr. has spent his nights watching his son transform from a 2014 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year at Saint Joe’s to an NCAA Division I All-American at the University of Kentucky, to the  No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA draft and now his current role as an NBA superstar for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“The Towns family name has become synonymous with Saint Joseph Basketball for over a decade, so to have Karl lead the Falcons as head coach will be very special for our school community to watch,” Saint Joseph Director of Athletics Bill Tracy said. “Karl Sr.’s teacher-first style of coaching fits right into our expectations and I know that all current and future Falcons will benefit from learning how to be a true Saint Joseph Man under his tutelage.”

As a college basketball player in the mid-1980s, Towns was one of the nation’s best rebounders. A Monmouth College (now known as Monmouth University) graduate, Towns ranks No. 11 all-time in rebounds (515), holds the single-season record for rebounds (319) and holds the single-game record for rebounds with 23 against Morgan State in January 1985. Prior to playing at Monmouth, he played one season at Mercer County College and another at Middlesex County College. Towns earned All-GMC Division status as a 1980 graduate from Piscataway High School. 

“As a coaching staff, our mission goes beyond the court,” Towns said. “I strive to develop well-rounded student-athletes who excel academically and athletically. My finest memories as a coach are not winning championships. They’re watching my players graduate and flourish in college. Success in the classroom lays the foundation for success in life, and I am dedicated to fostering an environment where our players can achieve both.”