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Saint Joseph High School Appoints Four-Time State Champion Dennis McCaffery as Head Baseball Coach

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Saint Joseph High School Appoints Four-Time State Champion Dennis McCaffery as Head Baseball Coach
  • Athletics
Tim LeCras

Saint Joseph High School is excited to announce the appointment of four-time state champion and New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dennis McCaffery as the school’s next head baseball coach. 

McCaffery comes to Saint Joe’s following a stunning 25-year Hall of Fame career as head coach at Cranford High School. He stepped down from his post at Cranford following the 2024 season and retired as principal of Lincoln School in December. 

McCaffery replaces Michael Murray, who stepped down in January to spend more time with family.

“It is my distinct pleasure to welcome Dennis McCaffery and his family to the Saint Joseph brotherhood,” Saint Joseph President John G. Nolan, Jr. P’09 said. “His commitment to building successful men on and off the field makes Dennis a perfect fit for our community. I can’t wait to see Dennis bring his winning attitude and culture to the baseball program.”

The fourth winningest coach in Union County history, McCaffery won 511 games in his Cranford career, including four state championships (2010, 2012, 2013 and the 2020 Last Dance Tournament), 12 section state championships and 11 Union County Tournament titles. The 2013 state championship team finished the season ranked No. 1 in New Jersey. He was elected to the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Union County Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2012. 

“I am very excited about the opportunity that I have been presented with here at Saint Joe’s,” McCaffery said. “Starting with school President John Nolan and Director of Athletics Bill Tracy, the whole school community has been very receptive and welcoming to me. I am very excited to get started and can’t wait for practice in March.”

A native of Roselle Park, McCaffery won a baseball state title in 1987 for Roselle Park High School before attending Brookdale Community College for two years. McCaffery built a Hall of Fame resume in two seasons with the Jersey Blues, culminating in being named a First Team, Junior College All-American and the 1989 Region 19 Junior College Player of the Year. 

McCaffery transferred to Villanova University ahead of the 1990 season and made an instant impact. Aside from being named a team captain after just four weeks on campus, McCaffery earned Big East Player of the Year in his first season. Despite being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1990, McCaffery returned to Villanova for his senior season and led the Wildcats to the 1991 Big East title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. 

A 2011 Villanova University Varsity Club inductee, McCaffery is tied for sixth in school history with a .373 batting average and tenth in single season RBI (58).

At the conclusion of the 1991 season, McCaffery was drafted by the California Angels in the 19th Round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Over three seasons in professional baseball, he appeared in 196 games and hit .263 with 176 hits and 81 RBI.

“On the field, we will attempt to play fundamentally sound baseball, taking it one pitch, one out, one inning at a time,” McCaffery said. “We are going to hustle, play the game hard and right each and every day. Off the field, we will build a positive culture that focuses on building a well-rounded student-athlete.”

Off the field, McCaffery spent 27 years as principal at Lincoln School in Cranford where he provided visionary leadership and strategic direction for academic and administrative functions in the kindergarten to 12th grade school. Known for fostering a positive and inclusive school culture that promotes student success and well-being, McCaffery also served as president of the Cranford Administrator and Supervisor Association.

Dennis is married to his wife Erin and has two children, Liz and Dennis. Liz McCaffery is a standout second baseman at Rowan University, where she was one of nine NCAA Division III Rawlings Gold Glove winners. She will receive the Joseph R. Lombardi Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Athlete of Union County at the Union County Baseball Association’s Hot Stove Dinner on Sunday, marking the first father-daughter duo to be recognized by the UCBA. Dennis, a 2024 graduate of Cranford High School, is gearing up for his freshman season at the University of Tampa.

 

  • Baseball