Varsity Coaches
Bob Muggeo is the Head Baseball Coach at Bergen Catholic. He has coached high school baseball for over 25 years in North Jersey. Prior to becoming head coach at Bergen Catholic in 2015, Bob served as a Pitching coach at St. Joseph Regional, Northern Valley Demarest and Cresskill High Schools. In his first 3 Years he has guided the Crusaders to a 70-16 record, along with 3 Bergen County Final appearances, winning the Bergen County tournament championship this past season in 2017. He owns and operates Muggeo Baseball Training Center in Tenafly NJ where he helps train some of the elite baseball talent in North Jersey. Bob is a certified National Academy of Sports Medicine ( NASM) Strength and Conditioning Coach. When not coaching during the high school season, Bob runs the Muggeo Cardinals Baseball Club, and runs club teams at the 13/14/15u levels Bob is married to Sue and has 3 children, Lauren, Alex and Brian. He lives in Harrington Park.
In his playing days at Emerson High School, Jim LaRose earned 8 Varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. His high school career ended with the Bergen County Championship in 1981, in which he was named MVP for his outstanding efforts during the tournament. He is the only player from Emerson to win this award. While playing ball for Seton Hall University, he earned his degree in Health and Physical Education. LaRose also holds a graduate degree in Supervision and Administration earned from New Jersey City University. Currently, he teaches and coaches football at Hackensack High School. Coach LaRose is a lifelong resident of Emerson. Married for over 25 years, he and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters, Kaitlyn (23) and Allison (20).
Paul Urbanovich is in his first season with the Bergen Catholic Crusaders. Paul earned All-Conference and All-State honors at two positions (catcher and 3rd base) while playing baseball at NJAC powerhouse Rowan University. Paul previously coached baseball at Union City High School.
Junior Varsity Coaches
High School Career – Football and baseball player for Cliffside Park High School. Graduated from Cliffside Park in 2001 as an All-League Outfielder on a Bergen County Finalist Team. College Career – Played four years as an OF and P for Rutgers University- Newark. Graduated with a degree in Biological Science. Coaching Career – Coached the past eleven years as a varsity assistant for various high school teams, including: Cliffside Park, Tenafly, and Palisades Park. Currently in his eleventh year as a Teacher of Biological Science for Palisades Park High School.
Coach Mike Rucereto is a graduate of Bergen Catholic’s class of 2011. He played baseball at Bergen Catholic from 2008-2011 and was the captain of the Freshman team. Along with playing baseball, he also was on the football team from 2007- 2010 and wrestling team from 2008-2009. Mike attended Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania where he majored in Public Relations and received his minor in Environmental Science. Coach Mike played 4 years of varsity baseball and was a three-time captain his sophomore, junior and senior year at Susquehanna. Throughout high school and his early years in college he was a catcher. In his final three years of college, he transitioned to a corner outfielder. Coach Mike is excited to be back at Bergen Catholic coaching the Freshman team.
Freshman Coaches
Tom McLaughlin was a 4 year Varsity starter in baseball and basketball at Triton Regional High School in Camden County where he earned All League, All South Jersey and All State Honors in his junior and senior seasons on the diamond. In both 1998 and 1999 Tom was able to compete in the prestigious Carpenter Cup All Star Tournament held at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and represent South Jersey’s finest ballplayers. Coach Mac played his college baseball at Division I Farleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck. He was a 4 year starter in the infield where he earned All Conference, and in 2000 was named to the Rawlings Division I All American Team while posting the 11th highest batting average in the nation. Tom was recently named to the FDU All Decade Team for the 2000’s. Currently residing in Cresskill, Tom lives with his wife of 6 years, Marissa, and their sons, TJ (4) and Wyatt (2).
Mike Kraft was a 3 year Varsity starter in Baseball, Basketball and Football at North Arlington High School in Bergen County. Coach Kraft played baseball and Football at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield CT. Mike pitched for two years, before concentrating on football, where he was an All American punter and backup QB for a National championship team in 2001. Mike coached at Sacred Heart, Widener and Villanova. He was a 2 year scout for the NYG. Mike now resides in Denville N.J with his wife of 1 year Christina.