Montclair State University Athletics

Rick Giancola enters his 40^th season as the head coach of the Red Hawk football program in 2022. The longest tenured coach in Montclair State history, “Coach G” has compiled a 258-135-2 record and is not only the all-time winningest coach in program history, but is the current active winningest coach in Division III and No. 4 among current collegiate coaches behind Columbia’s Al Bagnoli (261), North Carolina’s Mack Brown (261) and Alabama’s Nick Saban (256). Giancola has been equally successful in conference contests, boasting a 179-70-1 mark.

Giancola has guided MSU to 12 New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and nine NCAA Division III Playoff appearances as well as three ECAC crowns.

• Named the 12^th head coach in program history in July 1983, replacing Fred Hill
• Guided MSU to 12 NJAC Championships (‘83, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86, ‘89, ‘99, ‘00, ‘03, ‘09, ‘10, ‘14, ’20)
• Led Montclair State to NCAA Division III Playoff appearances (’85, ’86 ’89, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’03, ’09, ’10)
• Captured ECAC Championships – 1993 (Southwest), 1998 (Southeast), 2007 (South Atlantic)
• Named NJAC Coach of the Year 11 Times (most recent - 2020)
   

• Ranked 8th in Division III history for wins all-time (255)
• Has seen 26 players named Division III All-American Teams
• 35 “Player of the Year” awards from the NJAC
• Players have garnered 555 All-NJAC honors
• Has had 25 players sign professional contracts, the last CJ Conway with the New York Giants in 2015.
   

• Played to a 20-20 tie against Wagner College in his head coaching debut on September 10, 1983
• Became the all-time winningest coach in program history surpassing Hill with his 53^rd victory in a 30-14 win over Ramapo.
• Guided Montclair State to 18 consecutive NJAC victories from 1984-86 (record still stands today)
• One of two coaches in New Jersey collegiate football history to win 200 career games (Eric Hamilton, TCNJ)
• One of two coaches in NJAC history to capture 100 conference contests (Eric Hamilton, TCNJ)
   

• Victory No. 1 – vs. Kean, 48-7 (September 24, 1983)
• Victory No. 53 – vs. Ramapo, 30-14 (September 30, 1989)
• Victory No. 100 -  vs. Wilkes, 15-12 (October 25, 1997)
• Victory No. 150 – vs. Frostburg State, 29-14 (September 18, 2004)
• Victory No. 200 – vs. William Paterson, 21-8  (November 13, 2010)
• Victory No. 250 – vs. Christopher Newport, 24-0 (October 19, 2019)

• Joined Montclair State as an assistant coach under Hill in 1976 spending seven seasons as an assistant.
• Has been a part of 46 of the 90 football campaigns at MSU (51 percent).
• Giancola’s overall tenure at Montclair State has spanned the following:
  6 – Montclair State Presidents (Donald W. Dickson - Jonathan G.S. Koppell)
  9 – Presidents of the United States (Gerald R. Ford – Joseph R. Biden)
  10 – New Jersey Governors (Brendan T. Byrne – Phil Murphy)
• Became the first active coach inducted into the Montclair State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007

• Graduated from Glassboro State (now Rowan) in 1968
• Played Tight End for the Profs under legendary coach Richard Wackar and was an All-East selection in 1967. Also played baseball.
• Inducted into the Glassboro State / Rowan Hall of Fame in 1991.
• Resides in Cedar Grove with his wife Judy. The couple has two daughters, Gina and Diana (married to Rob Mulato), and two granddaughters, Gianna and Adriana.