Vinnie Mistretta is well versed in the attitude that he desires from his Jackson Memorial High School football players.
“We are going to continue to have that tough Jaguar attitude,” Mistretta said.
That is the mindset of Mistretta, who was appointed as the new Jackson Memorial football coach at the Jackson Board of Education meeting on June 27.
He replaced Walt Krystopik, who resigned in May after six years as the Jaguars’ head coach.
Krystopik steered Jackson Memorial to New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey, Group IV state playoff sectional championships in 2014 and 2015.
Mistretta knows all about that attitude that he wants to continue this season.
He was graduated from Jackson Memorial in 2006. And he was played a key role as a wide receiver and defensive back on the 2005 team that won the Central Jersey, Group IV state playoff title.
The new boss at Jackson Memorial started his coaching career in Middlesex County at Metuchen High School under his uncle, Sal Mistretta. After three years, he returned to Jackson Memorial to coach under Krystopik, before he became the defensive coordinator in 2015.
“When I played, I was more of an offensive guy, but when I came back to Jackson in 2013, I coached strictly defense,” Mistretta said. “My personality fits more with that defensive mentality.”
In 2016, Mistretta took a teaching job at Sayreville War Memorial High School and became that team’s defensive backs coach. Sayreville won the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section II, Group IV title last December with its 41-14 victory over Middletown High School North at Rutgers University’s High Point Solutions Stadium.
Mistretta said he plans to bring his uncle onto his staff in a mentor role. Keith Anderson, who has been on the staff for seven years, will take over as offensive coordinator.
“I think we have great personnel on the offensive side of the ball that I can focus my attention on the defensive side of the ball and have that defensive coordinator mentality and be able to break down opponents and give my opinion on the best way to stop them,” Mistretta said.
The new head coach is excited for the upcoming season and made it clear which side of the ball he enjoys the most.
“A 3-0 game is a great time in my living room on a Sunday afternoon,” Mistretta said.
Mistretta said New York Giants safety Landon Collins is his favorite current NFL athlete to watch and his prototypical football player.
“I am a defensive back guy, so I love safeties that come up and fill, that can cover and patrol the middle of the field, so that [Seattle Seahawks] ‘Legion of Boom’ type attitude is definitely something that hits home with me,” Mistretta said.
Even though the new head coach said he wants to fly around and be aggressive, he admitted linebackers are crucial to the team’s defense and the front seven needs to be tough up front.
“We will be aggressive, we will blitz guys here and there, we will pressure you [and] we will put you in bad spots,” Mistretta said.
Jackson Memorial has traditionally used a 4-3 as its base formation. While Mistretta confirmed that won’t change, he said that the Jaguars are “not married to the 4-3” and will adjust accordingly and could possibly switch to a 3-4 formation if necessary.
“Our tradition is to be a tough, hard-nosed defense,” Mistretta said.
Mistretta will look to his upperclassmen for leadership in the locker room.
“I know this senior class because I was on the staff when they were freshmen and sophomores, but I am going to see who steps up,” Mistretta said. “It would be great if we could rotate them; I do not need to have four captains if the entire senior class is a group of leaders. Then we will have four new ones every week and our young guys can look up to the seniors, but if some guys step up above the rest, then we will let them lead those guys. But right now, if you are an upperclassmen, it is your job to lead our youth.”
Mistretta is well aware of the high expectations of the Jackson Memorial football program.
“We are expected to win — we are expected to be a tough out no matter what. We lost some key guys on offense and defense, but the news guys have to step up — next man up,” Mistretta said.
