Ed Stinson calls coaching football "a passion and a love." The long-time Hoboken head coach, who constructed the most successful high school football program in New Jersey for the decade of the 1990s, said that any honor he has ever received in his career is "not about me, but is about the high school, the community, the players, the assistant coaches and my family."
Thursday afternoon, in a special presentation at Hoboken High School, it was finally all about Stinson.
The Frank McGuire Foundation, an organization named after the legendary former college basketball coach, was founded five years ago to honor distinguished high school coaches from the New York metropolitan area who exemplify integrity, achievement and a continual quest for excellence from themselves and their student athletes. Representatives came to the school to announce that Stinson was one of their four honorees this year.
Stinson will receive his award at the McGuire Foundation dinner Thursday, Nov. 6 at the New York Athletic Club, where former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley will be the keynote speaker. Stinson will be honored along with Christian Brothers Academy basketball coach Ed Wicelinski and New York coaches Phyllis Graham-Anderson and Lou Panzanaro.
Not only will Stinson receive an award for his achievements as a coach for the last quarter century, most of which has been spent coaching at his high school alma mater, but the school will receive a check for $10,000 that can be used to improve the school’s athletic department.
Stinson will become only the eighth coach in any sport from New Jersey to receive the award from the McGuire Foundation, which has been honoring long-time dedicated coaches since 1999. He also becomes the third Hudson County coach to receive the honor, joining legendary St. Anthony basketball coach Bob Hurley and retired Secaucus volleyball coach Maria Nolan.
"So many other awards with monetary gifts are directed into the school’s general scholarship fund," Stinson said. "This one provides a check that will help our program as I and the school officials deem worthy. It’s a great honor."
Football and Hoboken
Many of Hoboken’s dignitaries, including Mayor David Roberts and State Sen. Bernard Kenny, were on hand to honor Stinson and his family at the press conference.
"Football and Hoboken are a great part of our culture," Roberts said. "It’s who we are. It’s part of our identity. The city of Hoboken owns a great debt of gratitude to Ed Stinson and his family because of all the great young adults that were developed after they partake in football. He works toward one goal, bettering our youth and he deserves this honor."
"I’ve always been a strong supporter of Ed Stinson and his program," Kenny said. "He’s a great coach and a good family man. I’m happy he received this award."
Each year, the McGuire Foundation receives nominations of worthy coaches from a selected group of sports journalists with experience covering high school sports in the Tri-State area. In the selection process, years of experience and success on the respective fields of play are taken into consideration.
According to Robin Maffei, the director of development for the McGuire Foundation, the most important criteria is how the coach lives to the true meaning of what high school sports are all about – molding youngsters into fine adults.
"We have an eight-member committee that compiles all of the nominations and they consider all the criteria," Maffei said. "Coach Stinson was highly recommended by members of the committee, and we feel he is a worthy selection."
Mike Quick, the anchor of MSG Network’s coverage of high school sports, was the member of the committee who nominated Stinson. He was also on hand for the press conference.
"What Ed does for the kids of this city is unbelievable," Quick said. "But what he does for other kids from other schools is even more incredible. He gets on the phone and calls colleges to recommend kids from schools he plays against. He doesn’t have to do that. His teams could have played with anyone in the ’90s. He didn’t have to call colleges for other kids. But that’s who he is. The kids of Hoboken are lucky, high school football in New Jersey is lucky, and we’re all lucky to have someone like Ed Stinson coaching."
Added Quick, "Ed is always one to put himself in the background. Well, this time, it’s about him. It’s what the foundation is all about, giving back to the high school coaches for what they do."
Stinson said that he always prided himself to be someone who stresses academics first and athletics second.
"I think this honor recognizes and validates what I’ve said all along, about the greatness of public education," Stinson said. "My greatest claim to fame, regardless of wins and losses, is that I can proudly say that I have never had an academic casualty, that all of our players were eligible to play college football right away. We’ve had 20 or so in a row be able to do that. We’ve had a litany of guys who represent our community of one square mile, the Miracle Mile, so to speak, that have done so well."
Currently, there are five former Hoboken players playing in major college football right now: Tyrell Dortch (Michigan State), Carlos Perez (Florida), Anthony Henrique (Kent State), Joe Radigan (Rutgers) and Ira Guilford (Ohio State).
"Football is a vehicle to move on to a better life," Stinson said. "It’s a way out for a lot of these kids. I’m proud of all our kids and the body of work that produced all of those championships. One individual didn’t do this. I’m proud to be recognized, but this isn’t about me."
However, for once in his life, Stinson was wrong. This award was about him – and the school will now benefit for it, thanks to the grant from the McGuire Foundation.
The Frank McGuire Foundation dinner honoring Hoboken football coach Ed Stinson will be held Thursday, Nov. 6, at the New York Athletic Club. For ticket information, contact Robin Maffei at (718) 762-7444 or log on to www.mcguirefoundation.org.