COACH PROFILE
the great JoeLeicht
AnotherWayne ValleyHigh School coach whogoesthe extramile
WRITTEN BY ED MILLS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIECARUSO
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The great Glary Anderson.” That’ s how Joe Leicht fondly recalls his college baseball coach at Montclair State in the early’ 70s. The legendary Anderson, who also was ahighly successful head man in football, ice hockey, swimming, basketball and baseball at Montclair High School, compiled acareer 957- 276-16 record for the Mounties, including 209-23-6 in football in 28 seasons at the Essex County school [ included in the record are two additional seasons at Blair Academy inBlairstown ].
Leicht has built up quite arock- solid multi-sport mark ofhis own over the last four decades, including acurrent memorable stint as the Wayne Valley boys basketball coach with a230-121 record for the Indians over 13 seasons. Overall, onthe court, heis513-330 in34seasons, including 283-209 in 21 previous seasons at Indian Hills. Asone of the very best softball coaches inthe state at Indian Hills for the last 19seasons, he is 449-129 with Group 3state championships in 2013 and 2014, aGroup 2state title in2010 and Bergen County Tournament championships in 2010 and 2014. His 2010 and 2014 softball teams each finished as the No. 1overall team in the state and the 2014 team’ s34-0 record was the best inNew Jersey state softball history.
Besides the basketball and softball success, Leicht was an assistant coach in football for 27 seasons( 24 at Indian Hills at three at Pascack Valley) and was selected the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League assistant football coach of the year in 2001 for the Braves. Leicht also coached frosh baseball at Indian Hills for 14 years where the Braves won freshman BCT championships in 1984, 1987, 1989, 1997 and 1998.
In his 42nd year as a math teacher at Indian Hills, Leicht earned the Governor’ s Teacher Recognition Award as the‘ Teacher of the Year’ in the Oakland district in 2002. He was a football and baseball standout at Paramus High School, graduating in 1970, and earned a bachelor of arts in mathematics, where he was a catcher on the diamond, in 1974 at Montclair State.
In addition to all his numerous accomplishment on the fields and the court and in the classroom, Leicht was inducted into both Paramus High School athletic hall of fame( 2011) and the New Jersey Coaches Association Hall of Fame( 1991).
The reasons for Leicht’ s consistent successful on multiple athletic fronts – the extremely high level of mutual respect between player and coach.
“ One, communication lines being open builds trust,” says the 64-year-old Leicht.“ Two, you are prepared as best as possible for success and you become the best player you can be.
That in turn makes the team better and that is the ultimate goal.”
The 64-year-old Leicht came very close to guiding 21-5 Wayne Valley to its first Passaic County Tournament boys basketball championship this season. Wayne Valley had had an eight-point lead with five minutes remaining but fell to Eastside, 47-44.
38 WAYNE MAGAZINE BACK TO SCHOOL 2016