After five seasons spent transforming the Seraphs into a perennial state title contender, and one of the top producers of NCAA-caliber talent in New Jersey, Dino Mangiero announced his retirement from Mater Dei Prep. File Photo
By Chris Rotolo
MIDDLETOWN – Five seasons ago, Dino Mangiero ushered in the most fruitful era in Mater Dei Prep football history when the former NFL lineman transformed the Seraphs from a perennial underdog to one of the top programs in New Jersey.
Boasting an overall record of 43-10 over that stretch, including five consecutive sectional finals appearances and a state championship victory in 2016, Mangiero’s Feb. 11 retirement announcement not only took the high school football community by surprise, but his own offensive coordinator Taylor Groh, whom Mater Dei Prep Athletic Director Rich Buckheit has named the Seraphs’ new head coach.
“Coach (Mangiero) has been toying with the idea of retirement for a couple of years now, but he never talked about it, and he certainly didn’t hint that this was coming,” Groh told The Two River Times in a Feb. 16 interview. “I never anticipated this. But once I heard he was stepping down, I jumped at the opportunity.”
Though Groh said he was unaware of other potential candidates for the coveted coaching vacancy, he does believe the Mater Dei Prep administration placed a premium on continuity for its student-athletes, who continue to navigate an unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis.
“We’ll do some things differently, but Coach set an incredible foundation for this program to build on. From the way we’ll conduct our practices to the way we communicate with players, coaches and colleges, he left his mark on Mater Dei Prep.”
Mangiero, 62, arrived at the Port Monmouth preparatory school following two successful stints at the Brooklyn-based Poly Prep – 1995-2001 and 2006-2015 – and additional stops at Indiana University and Wagner College.
Groh transitions to the head coaching role with a collegiate pedigree of his own, most recently serving as an offensive quality control coach at Monmouth University, following a season as Farleigh Dickinson University’s offensive line coach and two years as a student assistant with Montclair State University.
Former Mater Dei Prep offensive coordinator, Taylor Groh, has been named Mangino’s successor. Groh entered the Seraphs program in 2019 following collegiate coaching stints at Monmouth University, Fairleigh Dickinson and Montclair State. Courtesy Taylor Groh
Over the past five years Mater Dei Prep has helped propel numerous players to the collegiate level, including Dom Guidice (Michigan), Clarence Lewis (Notre Dame), Eddie Lewis (Rutgers), Juwan Mitchell (Texas) and George Pearson (Central Michigan).
Like Mangiero, Groh believes his relationships at the NCAA level will be a benefit to current and future Seraphs.
“As a young coach, it’s kind of a rite of passage for us to be part of the summer college camp circuit,” said Groh, who said he made scouting trips to approximately 160 camps in his first three seasons of college coaching. “From Maine to Florida I was able to connect with coaches and staffs that I continue to connect with, and those relationships will be useful to helping our players reach their goals.”
Before Mangiero took the reins, perennial state championship contention and alumni in the collegiate ranks were not synonymous with Seraphs football. In the half-century history prior to his arrival, Mater Dei Prep qualified for the state playoffs just nine times, with only one tournament victory.
Groh credits the program’s most recent accomplishments to a culture change implemented by Mangiero and said his immediate plans entail additional community outreach programs to further cultivate support from students, families, staff and administration.
“Coach elevated our standing and I want to continue to build that culture. Our guys will be accountable to their teachers, peers and community, both inside and outside of the classroom. We also want to serve as a community resource. We can provide support to parents who are entering the college recruitment process for the first time. We can offer different community engagement events and free youth camps to connect with our community. That’s all part of the vision,” Groh said.
“Win the Day,” is the rallying cry Groh said will guide the Seraphs.
“It will be at the heart of everything we do. What are you doing in the classroom, in the community, on the field to set yourself above someone else? What are you doing to show a teammate, a classmate, that at the end of the day, they can rely on you? We have some work to do to continue to grow and move in a positive direction, but I’m excited for the challenge,” Groh said.
The article originally appeared in the February 18 – 24, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
