When news spread that Union Catholic alumna Cherie Pizzano was retiring as coach of the Linden bowling team after a Hall of Fame career, the UC community reflected on all her accomplishments and the remarkable legacy she leaves behind.
Pizzano, who graduated from Union Catholic in 1989 where she was a two-sport star, retired after an amazing 22-year run as the bowling coach at Linden,
Pizzano led Linden to six sectional titles, five Union County titles, five Watchung Conference Championships, one state Group 3 title, and she guided the Tigers to an amazing 43-match winning streak from 2017 to 2019.
For all of her success, Pizzano was inducted into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019, was named The Star-Ledger Bowling Coach of the Year for North Jersey Section 2 three years in a row, 2003-05, and the NJSCA Bowling Coach of the Year in 2007. Pizzano also coached softball at LHS from 1994 to 2010.
Dave Luciano, Union Catholic’s Athletic Director and a 1999 graduate of UC, said Pizzano’s tight bond with her student athletes was a big key to her success.
“I think Cherie’s accomplishments speak for themselves,” said Luciano. “What I have taken a lot of joy in over the last few years is seeing her firsthand doing what she loves, which is coaching kids. Her clear passion for the sport and the strong bond she had with the kids on her teams was so evident.”
“I think that foundation for Cheri’s success was built here at UC,” said Luciano. “She had a great career as an athlete at Union Catholic, and that translated into just an unbelievable coaching career. We are all so proud of all of her accomplishments as a UC alum.”
Pizzano, who was surprised by her team with a party in her honor at Jersey Lanes in Linden after the final regular season match, said she just felt it was the right time to step down.
“I just felt in my heart it was time for me to relax,” said Pizzano, who will continue to teach special education at Linden. “I have been involved in athletics my whole life. There has not been a year since I was six that I did not play or coach. I will miss game day, and that feeling when the match is on the line and your athlete performs. That emotional high is an amazing feeling, but I just felt the time was right.”
During her days at UC, Pizzano was a star basketball and softball player. In her senior year in 1989, Union Catholic won the Union County Championship in basketball for the fourth year in a row, captured the Non-Public A state championship for the third straight year, and advanced to the final at the first Tournament of Champions, falling to Hoffman, 45-43, in overtime.
In softball, Pizzano, an All-State player, helped the Vikings defeat two-time defending champion Union in the 1989 country final, the only county softball title UC has ever won.
Pizzano, who went on to star in softball at Kean University, was coached at UC by Hall of Fame basketball coach Kathy Matthews, and her softball coach was Shelly Jacques.
Pizzano said Matthews and Jacques, and the experiences she had as a student-athlete at Union Catholic, made a lasting impression on her and helped shape her into a coach and the person she is today.
“Kathy and Shelly have impacted me in many ways as a coach and person,” said Pizzano. “When you are a teenager and things are happening to you sometimes you don’t understand the significance of the lesson. Kathy forced me to work hard, to fight for what I wanted and to understand that it was a privilege to wear a Union Catholic basketball uniform. She demanded excellence and taught me how to become resilient. Shelly challenged me to trust that she knew what was best for me. She changed the position that I had played my whole life. She would do mechanical things with me that made me uncomfortable, but it ultimately led me to All-State status. They both pushed me to realize my potential and showed me exactly how I wanted to teach my athletes. I am so fortunate that I have great relationships with both of them today. I can’t express how happy I was when they both were present at my induction into the NJSIAA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2019.”
Pizzano Union Catholic will always feel like home to her.
“Union Catholic provided me with an amazing education and it also fostered an environment of an extended family,” said Pizzano. “I have always said that whenever I come back to UC, it feels like I am home. If I ever needed assistance as a student, I knew I could always rely on my teachers. UC gave me the tools to become a successful student athlete at Kean then a special education teacher/coach at Linden.”
Matthews has great memories of Pizzano.
“When I think about Cherie when she played for me at UC, I think of a great student/athlete, an intense competitor who never left anything in the locker room, always played hard, coachable, willing to learn, great teammate, comedian, role model, and an outstanding leader of young people,” said Matthews. “These are some of the qualities that help athletes excel and are the makings of a great coach as they transition from being an athlete to the coaching profession.”
Matthews, who has won 750 games in her legendary coaching career, said she always knew Pizzano would be a great coach.
“It’s no surprise to me that she had an accomplished career as a coach,” said Matthews. “Throughout her coaching career, she did not just focus on bowling. She focused on developing the student, the athlete, the person, the teammate, and fostered team unity. When you hear Cherie talk about her players, you could always sense how much she cared for them. My legacy is not just about the wins. It is about seeing my former players be successful in their careers. Teaching them life skills. How to fight through adversity, how to work hard and have a passion for what they are doing. Cherie applied those lessons throughout her life and coaching career, which is the ultimate compliment that I could ever receive as a coach.”
“As her coach, her mentor and her friend, I am proud of her for all that she has accomplished in her life and her coaching career,” said Matthews. “We have kept in touch through the years and have developed a lasting friendship. The fact she sees me being instrumental in her career success means a lot to me. It’s awesome.”
Pizzano was asked what her legacy should be?
“My legacy as a coach is directly reflected in my sustained relationships with my athletes,” said Pizzano. “There is no greater joy than attending their weddings, receiving daily phone calls, meeting for dinner or having one of them attend my son’s games. Watching them become successful members of society and thrive is the greatest legacy I could have ever imagined. I want to be remembered as a coach that emphasized dedication, sacrifice, values and that I taught my athletes how to fight through adversity and become resilient.”
“Coaching has allowed me to give back the gifts that were given to me from my coaches,” said Pizzano. “It’s so funny when I hear myself using phrases that Coach Matthews, Coach Jacques utilized on me. Coaching has also brought so many wonderful people into my life. I have been so fortunate to make some amazing friends from the coaching community. If you ask anyone they will tell you how competitive I am and that winning is important to me but, it’s more about the manner in how you go about winning that is more important. I have always wanted to convey to my athletes that my accolades as an athlete came through hard work in the classroom, on the basketball court and on the softball field. As I reflect on my career I see my accomplishments as being able to infuse a family environment for my teams with a strong work ethic.”
Jim Reagan Sr., who retired as the AD at UC in 2018 after 35 years working at the school, said it’s been very enjoyable to watch Pizzano blossom from a young teenager to a legendary coach.
“I’ve seen her as an incoming freshman, as an outstanding student-athlete, and I’ve seen her as an adult as a highly successful high school coach,” said Reagan Sr. “So I’ve seen her whole life unfold. She was one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever been around. And when she got into coaching, I knew she’d be an outstanding coach. Her success didn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knew Cherie. When I watched her as a coach at Linden, she was always supportive, and she created a great winning culture at Linden. Cherie is one of the very best athletes/coaches to ever come out of Union Catholic, and I’m so proud of everything she has accomplished.”
