MICHAEL MAZZACCARO, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Christian Brothers Academy announced Michael Mazzaccaro ’11 as the new Director of Athletics on July 21, 2020.“CBA is fortunate to have Michael Mazzaccaro as our new Director of Athletics,” said President Brother Frank Byrne ’75. “Michael has distinguished himself both here and at Princeton University as an outstanding student-athlete. His experience as a teacher and a coach at CBA has given him the opportunity to truly connect with our students, and he will be an excellent addition to CBA's administrative team.”
As CBA AD, Mazzaccaro will lead a department of 18 interscholastic sports, over 60 coaches, and upwards of 700 student-athletes per year.
For the past four years, Mazzaccaro has taught world history and Advanced Placement U.S. history at the Academy. He has also been an assistant cross country and track coach with the Colts, using his decorated running career to help the next generation of students.
“It is a privilege and honor to be named the Director of Athletics at CBA,” Mazzaccaro said. “As a student, teacher and coach at CBA, I have been blessed to work with the best administrators, teachers, coaches, and students. I look forward to working with all of the members of our community to further our Lasallian mission through athletics.”
Mazzaccaro remains one of the most prolific runners in the storied history of CBA cross country and track & field. He was a two-time Non-Public A cross country state champion and set the CBA course record at Holmdel Park, which still stands today.
On the national stage, Mazzaccaro finished 15th overall at the 2010 Nike Cross Nationals to help his Colts finish fifth overall. He followed that up by anchoring the CBA distance medley squad that won the 2011 Championship of America at the Penn Relays.
“I learned some of life's greatest lessons from the teachers and coaches that have surrounded me at CBA,” Mazzaccaro said. “From teachers like Jeff Matson and Dave Duh who taught me that hard work can be enjoyable to Karl Torchia, Tom Heath, and Chris Bennett who promoted a team-first approach that guided my entire athletic career, I hope to honor all of them by putting their lessons to work as Director of Athletics.”
His impressive career at the Academy earned him spots on the Princeton University cross country and track teams. During his senior year at Princeton, he was named an Academic All-American and All-Ivy League second team for outdoor track.
Since 2016, he has helped coach the Colts to four straight Non-Public A state championships, three Meet of Champions titles, and four trips to the Nike Cross Nationals. He has also been active in other extracurricular activities at CBA, including moderating the Future Business Leaders of America and Fed Challenge clubs.
Now, Mazzaccaro turns his attention to leading all 18 CBA sports to greater heights, something Principal Ross Fales is confident will happen.
“Mike is a dedicated educator who is totally committed to CBA, has demonstrated exceptional intelligence, and has an ability to quickly adapt to - and succeed in - a number of very different environments,” Fales said. “I am extremely happy to have Mike on our administrative team as we navigate this new reality that we find ourselves in and I have complete confidence that he will lead this storied athletic program to continued success.”
Mazzaccaro will succeed outgoing AD Vito Chiaravalloti, who led CBA Athletics to NJSIAA/ShopRite Cups for best athletics program in all six years of his tenure. While there is a change at the top, the message and focus remains the same for the Colts.
“Our athletic teams at CBA will always be an extension of the classroom and the broader learning experience for our students,” Mazzaccaro said. “We will continue to commit ourselves to educating the complete student: mind, body and spirit.”
Outside of CBA, Mazzaccaro owns and operates Radix Running, which is an offseason camp program for runners. Some of the top student-athletes in the state have trained with Radix Running in the summer months, working on functional movement and fundamentals of running. He also has experience in the financial planning and investment world with BlackRock, Inc.
