Taking Charge
Pat Lancetta has performed almost every job during a long and successful coaching career. Now for the first time he will have a new title—head coach.
Lancetta was named the head football coach at Hammonton, a program he and his brother Pete have put their stamp on for years.
Pete Lancetta, now the head coach at St. Augustine, enjoyed a long tenure as head coach at Hammonton. He was 215-65-2 in 26 years guiding the Blue Devils.
Pat Lancetta has served two different stints as an assistant coach at Hammonton, sandwiched around a long run as an assistant at Rowan University.
“I am excited about it and looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “The kids have been great, working hard in the weight room.”
Lancetta takes over a Hammonton team that went 1-9 this past season.
“This situation is similar to 1989 when we took over,” he said, talking about when Pete became head coach, and he was an assistant at Hammonton. “They had some tough times, and we took over and were 2-7 that first year but by 1990 we won nine games. This is similar in a lot of ways because our sophomore class, who are going to be juniors, is pretty strong, similar to 1989.
He takes over a Hammonton team that went 1-9 last season.
A 1983 graduate of St. Joseph’s Hammonton, Lancetta played as a senior under legendary coach Paul Sacco, who was beginning his first year in 1982.
Lancetta first served as an assistant to his brother at Hammonton from 1989-2002. He then served one year as an assistant at Absegami before becoming a part-time assistant at Rowan University from 2004-2007.
He became a full-time assistant coach at Rowan, from 2008 through 2023. What is interesting about his time at Rowan is that he served first as a defensive coordinator and later moved to offensive coordinator.
Very few coaches on any level have experience as a coordinator on both sides of the ball.
“It was fun to be able to be a coordinator on both sides of the ball at the college level and I learned a lot and hopefully that will help me at Hammonton,” he said.
Lancetta left Rowan to become a health and physical education teacher and assistant football coach during this current school year. He was the offensive coordinator this past season for the Blue Devils.
And now Lancetta will be diving in with enthusiasm for his first-ever head coaching job.
“It’s funny, as I got older, the opportunity never really came up and I was fine being an assistant coach,” he said. “I didn’t come to Hammonton expecting to be a head coach, but when the job opened up, I decided to apply.”
He said he will place a high priority on working with the feeder program in Hammonton.
And he is also looking forward to his first head coaching stint.
“I am excited for the new adventure,” he said. “This is a great opportunity.”
Photo Courtesy of Pat Lancetta
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Author: Marc Narducci
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