CROSS COUNTRY

All Daily Record Coach of the Season: Barry embraced new challenges at Chatham

Jim Hague
Correspondent

Pat Barry would have never fathomed he would be a cross country and track and field coach at Chatham.

After all, Barry was Butler, through and through.

Born and raised in Butler by parents who were also from the town, Barry eventually ran track for the Bulldogs and held his own, graduating in 1970. Barry went on to Trenton State College, now known as The College of New Jersey, where he also ran track and cross country.

“I just loved the whole concept of the team,” said Barry, our reporters’ choice for Fall 2014 All Daily Record Coach of the Season. “That made me love running. ... I wasn’t a star. I was like the seventh man on cross country, but I was a decent runner.”

A history major at Trenton State with a minor in education, Barry returned to — where else? — Butler to become a social studies teacher in the middle school. He started coaching track and field and cross country at his alma mater in 1976, where he remained for the next 30 years.

Barry guided Butler to championships in the old Northern Hills Conference-Suburban Division. He also had sprinter Dave Conklin and hurdler Scott Van Zile as sectional champs.

Even after Barry retired as a teacher in Butler, he remained on as a coach until 2006. He thought he was a Butler lifer.

At that point, Barry believed that his teaching and coaching careers had come to an end.

But Barry came out of retirement to coach one year at Hanover Park. One day, Barry was talking to then-Chatham coach Frank Heffernan about his program.

“He said that he was thinking about stepping down,” Barry said of Heffernan. “He said he was retiring and moving out of state and would I be interested in coaching in Chatham. I just sort of hopped in. It’s just something that fell into place at the right time. ... I really admired Frank. I respected the work he did there. I thought he was a positive role model for those kids. I wanted to be able to continue that. I was excited to have that chance.”

In 2008, Barry became the head boys’ cross country and track and field coach at Chatham. The boy from Butler had found a new home.

“Sometimes, I was a little overwhelmed, because we have about 60 boys and 40 girls,” Barry said. “Thank God we have Bill Librera as athletic director to keep things going. I’m thankful and grateful that he knows the sport and understands the sport. We also have the best parents on earth, who are willing to help in any way they can.”

In 2014, Barry guided the Chatham boys to one of the best cross country seasons in school history. The Cougars won the Morris County championship for the first time since 2006, captured the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Large-Schools team title for the first time ever, finished second at the NJSIAA North 2 Group III championships, fourth at the overall Group III meet and 13th at the Meet of Champions.

Barry watched the transformation of senior Will Mitchell into an elite runner and teammates Grant Hauck and Liam Hynes becoming among the very best in Morris County. He received major assistance from newcomer assistant Nick DeSantis, the former head coach at Hammonton, who joined the Chatham program last year.

“I found this season to be so much fun,” Barry said. “I didn’t think it could be so much fun. It was never a drag. I kept looking forward to the next day being with the team. ... I just love it more and more each year. I didn’t think I could enjoy it so much after all this time.”

Readers’ Choice

Pat Barry, Chatham boys cross country — 0.23%

James Cai, Chatham girls tennis — 0.08%

Anne Marie Davies, Madison field hockey — 0.18%

Stephanie Finke, Kinnelon volleyball — 14.43%

Bryan Gallagher, Boonton football — 14.05%

Rob Kertesz, Mendham girls cross country — 0.41%

Brian Kiernan, Morristown boys soccer — 3.28%

Mike Petrucelli, Kinnelon girls soccer — 67.34%

Compiled from the All Daily Record Coach of the Season online poll