HEAD COACH

Former Garnet Valley standout quarterback Eric Van Wyk is in his fifteenth season as a coach and his fifth season as Head Coach, after taking over for Mike Ricci. Eric was the Freshman Head Coach for ten years prior to becoming the Varsity Head Coach.  He is a social studies teacher at Garnet Valley High School.

In his first year at the helm in 2022, the Jags went undefeated in the regular season, earning a share of the Central League title, and then went on to win the PIAA 6A District One Championship, ending in a 13-1 Season, one game away from the State Championship.  In 2023, the Jags took another share of the Central League championship with a 9-3 record.

In High School, as a senior, Van Wyk quarterbacked the 2007 Jaguars to the state championship game against Thomas Jefferson. A 2008 alumnus of the school, he went on to pitch for four years at La Salle University and earn All-Big 5 team honors in 2010, as well as an Atlantic-10 Scholar Athlete award.

Van Wyk enjoyed the life lessons that he picked up through the program, as well as the beliefs of selflessness, character and hard work to go along with the positive impact that the coaches have had on his life. 

Eric is a camp director at the Garnet Valley Sports Camps, a camp with seven different weeks of sports located at Garnet Valley Middle School.

He and his wife, Hilary, have a five-year-old named Jude and a two-year-old named Kennedy.

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Coach Burba is entering his third year at Garnet Valley, this is his 2nd as the Offensive Coordinator. A 2017 Garnet Valley graduate, Coach Burba was a key leader and wide receiver for the 2016 Jaguars that made it to our first ever 6A PIAA District One Championship. After GV, Coach Burba attended West Chester University where he became an undergraduate assistant for the football program under legendary Head Coach Bill Zwaan. 

Coach Burba is a Autistic Support/Life Skills Teacher at Springton Lake Middle School where he works with students to reach their individual academic, social, and behavioral goals. He has a passion for the work he does daily and strives to get the best out of his athletes and students.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Chris Quintans enters his fifth season with the Garnet Valley football program and his first season as Defensive Coordinator. During his time with the Jaguars, he has served in several roles, including safeties coach, special teams coordinator, and speed training specialist, continuing to support the development of student-athletes and the growth of the program.

A 2009 graduate of Penncrest High School, Coach Quintans earned All-Delco honors, received the Phil Marion Most Courageous Athlete in Delaware County Award, and participated in the 2009 Hero Bowl. He earned his bachelor's degree from Bloomsburg University in 2013 and his master's degree from La Salle University in 2018.

As a math teacher, Coach Quintans is passionate about developing young people both in the classroom and on the football field. He believes that lasting success is built through character, selflessness, and hard work. The culture and relationships within the Garnet Valley Football Program are what he values most. He considers it a privilege to work alongside a dedicated coaching staff committed to helping student-athletes grow as players, teammates, and leaders.

Coach Quintans and his wife, Christina, are grateful for the opportunity to serve the Garnet Valley football program and contribute to the continued development of its student-athletes.

OFFENSIVE LINE

This is Coach Stroup’s 10th season back at Garnet Valley after spending 6 seasons as Penncrest’s head coach. He previously served as an assistant coach at Garnet Valley from 2000-2010. During that span, Stroup’s role as the Jags defensive coordinator was integral to their multiple District Championships, Central League Championships and state title game run.

Stroup broke into coaching in 1978 at Kutztown University and never looked back. Since then he has been a head coach at Sun Valley, Oxford, and Penncrest High Schools, as well as an assistant coach at West Chester University, Cheyney University and Swarthmore College. Stroup graduated from Kutztown in 1977, and during his career was an all PSAC linebacker, and Cocaptain his senior year. A 1973 product of Lehighton High School, he garnered All Lehigh Valley League honors as a tight end and defensive end, and was inducted  into the Carbon County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. Stroup enjoys working with all of the young men and their families, as well as all of the coaches.  Stroup and his wife Vanessa have 4 children: Jason, Jon, Kara and Kate all GV alums and athletes. They also have 11 grand children Nora, Lucy, Milo, Owen, Evan and Rita , children of Jason and his wife Amanda, and Adeline, Austen, and Annabell, children of Jon and his wife, Jenna,  Rowan son of Kate and husband Dan Herbster, and Charlotte daughter of daughter Kara and husband Robert/RJ Clark.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Patt enters his 28th season as a volunteer assistant OL coach. He started his career at his alma mater, Strath Haven--while he was there they won 2 PA State Championships. He then came to Garnet Valley and was there for 10 years, where he went back to Hershey with the team in 2007. He then moved to St Joe’s Prep with his eldest son, Jackson (Lehigh University Football 2020), where they won the state Championship three out of four years. After his tenure at St. Joe’s Prep he rejoined GV as an assistant with the 8th grade team, following his son Bear (class of 2022) through the program. Patt and his wife, Michelle, have resided in the Garnet Valley for 27 years; during that time, they have been active volunteers for the Jags within the lacrosse and football communities. Their daughter, Peyton is a product of the GVSD and has her Masters from ST Joe's and was a 3x cheer captain at Ursinus College.  Their youngest, “Bear” graduated from York College as an academic all American as well as honorable mention in lacrosse.  In his time as a player, Patt was All Delco at 3 different positions for three years at Strath Haven before moving on to the University of Minnesota where he was All Big Ten and a captain of his team. He was a member of the practice squad for the Dallas Cowboys when they won the Super Bowl in 1993, but he doesn't like to tell his dad, Mike, who was the starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1968-1973. The only member of the family who can handle such news is their loyal dog, Buckley.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Tommy Mahoney enters his third season coaching. He will be assisting Coach Stroup and Coach Evans with the offensive line. Coach Mahoney is a 2018 Garnet Valley graduate. While at GV, he became first team All-Delco and first team All-State. 

After graduating from GV, Coach Mahoney went to Lackawanna Junior College, where he helped take the Falcons to a national championship. Two years later, Tommy transferred to Tusculum University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration. On the field, he became an All-American, 2x First Team All-Conference, and two year captain.

After Tusculum, Coach Mahoney played professionally for the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the IFL. That season, the Wranglers lost in the semifinal game of the playoffs.  

Coach Mahoney is a Deputy Sheriff at the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

TIGHT ENDS

Coach Perlsweig began his coaching career with the Our Lady of Fatima CYO football program, where he coached from 1997–2001. After graduating from West Chester University in 2002, he began his teaching career at Garnet Valley High School and joined the Jaguars football coaching staff. He remained with the program through the 2010 season before spending four years coaching alongside Coach Stroup at Penncrest High School.

Coach Perlsweig returned to Garnet Valley in 2016, spending one season with the freshman program before coaching at the middle school level from 2017–2019. In 2020, he returned to the high school staff and took over responsibility for the Jaguars’ tight ends.

A graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School and West Chester University, Coach Perlsweig says the most rewarding part of coaching is watching his players grow both on and off the field, building relationships with their families, and maintaining lifelong connections with former players long after they graduate from Garnet Valley.

The 2026–27 school year marks Coach Perlsweig’s 25th year as an educator at Garnet Valley. He currently serves as the Child Study Team Facilitator and a Special Education teacher at Garnet Valley High School.

Coach Perlsweig lives in Garnet Valley with his wife, Deb, and their daughter, Abby (GV Class of 2031).

WIDE RECEIVERS & SLOTS

A lifelong member of the Garnet Valley football program, Coach Jon Ricci enters his 4th year in “official” capacity as a member of the staff. The son of longtime GV Head Coach Mike Ricci, Jon spent his summers from the age of 3 through 18 with the GV program, staying at camp, directing traffic, serving as a water boy and a ball boy, and finally as a tight end on one of GV’s most accomplished teams, the 2017 District 1 6A finalists.

Following his tenure at GV, Ricci enrolled at the University of Delaware, where he majored in Criminal Justice and Sociology, earned a Master’s Degree in International Business, and earned 4 letters as a tight end.

QUARTERBACKS

Jonathan Flynn is entering his 7th year as a part of the GVHS coaching staff, after previously coaching at Brandywine High School, in Wilmington, DE. A 1992 of Garnet Valley, Flynn played quarterback, safety and punter--and was the team’s Scholar/Athlete Award winner in 1991. In 1996, he graduated from Cheyney University, where he excelled both on and off of the field. A three-time captain, Flynn was the team’s QB and punter--and was also his class’s valedictorian. Flynn is also a mentor, Advisor to the Trauma Informed Education Coalition and a Board President for the Media Fellowship House.

Flynn loves the life lessons from Garnet Valley football both as a player and now as a coach, and is inspired by the hard work and dedication present at all levels of the program. Flynn is married to his wife, Jen.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING / RUNNING BACKS

For two decades (since 2007), JP Battiste has been an invaluable member of the Garnet Valley football coaching staff. He is the brains behind the Jaguars’ brawn as he developed, monitored, evaluated and improved the current, widely acclaimed strength and conditioning program. This off season players endured both strength, conditioning and mental toughness exercises by doing hard things and embracing adversity.

A 1994 graduate of West Chester East and a 2000 product of West Chester University, Battiste has carved out a reputation for himself as an exceptional Strength and conditioning coach. Garnet Valley is annually one of the strongest teams in the area. His favorite aspect of the program is the summer lifting, where he gets the most time to develop the kids technique and form as well as their will to do hard things. 

A man of few words, Battiste commands attention when he does speak. He was a 2014 Crossfit Regional Athlete. He has been a special education teacher for the past 20 years. He also coaches flag football where his team leads the league in sideways yards. Coach Battiste and his wife Caitlin have two sons, Ashton and Finnegan.

WIDE RECEIVERS & SLOTS

Coach O’Leary is a proud Garnet Valley graduate (Class of 2012) and former Jaguar quarterback & wide receiver. After four years of playing college football at Ursinus, he returned to Garnet Valley in 2018 to assist coaching the freshman team. In 2020, he launched his own strength and conditioning business dedicated to training and mentoring youth and high school athletes.

At his core, Coach O’Leary is still that high school kid who loves to compete — and he now channels that passion into being a “big brother” figure for the athletes he coaches. His mission is to help kids build confidence, character, and resilience both on and off the field. He believes in preparing the child for the path, not the path for the child.

Coach O’Leary holds certifications in RKC, DSPCC L1 + L2, Running Mechanics Professionals L1, Moment Mentorship Cohort 1, First Principles of Movement Mentorship Cohort 5, KBCU L1 + L2, and is also a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach. He serves on the Student Athlete Wellness Advisory Council (SAWAC) for GoldenMinds and hosts the You Can’t Fool You podcast.

DEFENSIVE LINE

This is Zach Liggitt's 3rd year on the Garnet Valley Coaching Staff. He will be coaching the outside linebackers for our Varsity/JV teams. This is also Zach's 2nd year as a teacher in the Garnet Valley School District, and he will be teaching 6th grade language arts at Garnet Valley Middle school. 

Zach Liggitt graduated from Northampton Area High School in 2018. Just this past spring of 2023 Zach graduated from West Chester University. While attending West Chester University Zach was a two time captain of their football program. He was also selected as a first team all conference player twice while playing for the West Chester Rams. One of Zach's highest priorities has always been to form lifelong connections with students/players while also preparing them to be fantastic young adults.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Ryan Canzanese enters his second season coaching the defensive line.  A proud alum of Garnet Valley in 2009, Coach Canzanese was a key contributor on the defensive line for the 2007 team that went to a state championship.  His senior year he was a leader of the defense that went undefeated and won the first ever central league for Garnet Valley.  

Coach Canznese is a police officer in Delaware County along with being on the Delaware County SWAT Team.  We thank Coach Canzanese for his service to our community and country!  Coach Canzanese and his wife have a young son Maverick.

DEFENSIVE LINE

2019 Graduate of Garnet Valley and captain of the 2018 Central League Champions. Graduate of Widener University. Member of the Jeff Hill Coaching Tree.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

Dave Wrzesniewski is a Garnet Valley resident and has been a member of the Jaguars coaching staff since 2010. After coaching the defensive line for his first two seasons, he has served as the team’s inside linebackers coach ever since.

A 1990 graduate of Strath Haven High School, Coach Wrez played fullback and inside linebacker before continuing his football and academic career at Duquesne University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1995 and played two seasons of collegiate football before injuries brought his playing career to an end.

Coach Wrez also dedicated 12 years to the Brandywine Youth Club, where he served as a football coach, board member, and football committee member, helping develop young athletes both on and off the field.

He is passionate about investing in the lives of Garnet Valley’s student-athletes, striving to help them succeed not only on the football field but, more importantly, in life. Coach Wrez enjoys mentoring young men, developing leadership skills, and watching his players grow into confident, responsible adults.

Professionally, Coach Wrez has worked for The GIANT Company since 1995 and currently serves as Manager of Regional Pharmacy Operations for Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Coach Wrez and his wife, Polly, a teacher at Love & Learn Preschool, are proud parents of two Garnet Valley graduates: Grace (GV Class of 2018; Penn State University, 2022; West Chester University, 2024) and Will (GV Class of 2022; Penn State University, Class of 2026).

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

Craig D. Stephenson begins his eighth season on the Garnet Valley football coaching staff this season. 2011-2013 and 2017 to the present.

Stephenson brings plenty of coaching experience to the staff with 27 years at John Dickinson (Del.), including 17 as the head football coach and earning a spot in the school’s Hall of Fame. He also spent three years on the Sun Valley High staff, working with running backs and linebackers.

Stephenson was a first-team junior college All-American at Wesley Junior College, where he was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. A first-team All-Blue Hen Conference running back at John Dickinson High School (DE), he also matriculated at Duke University, where he was selected to play in the 1974 Blue and Gray Football Classic.

Stephenson proclaims to, above all else, enjoy the experience of Garnet Valley football, from the coaches, players, managers, school staff, students and parents. A proud Vietnam War veteran, Stephenson earned a Bachelor of Science from West Chester University in 1990. He and his wife, Susan, have a daughter, Leslie and her husband Marco.

CORNERBACKS

Lance Panarello has been a mainstay on the Garnet Valley football coaching staff now entering his third decade. As he begins his 30th season on the Jaguars’ staff,  he works with the team’s defensive backs unit. 

A 1990 Garnet Valley alumnus, he won the Garnet Valley Football Coaches Award, his most proud achievement. He played everything from quarterback to defensive back and center. He also serves on the BYC football Board. Coach Panarello has coached at BYC from 2006-2023. He earned the Marcus Hook Oldtimers community service award in 2014.

Coach Panarello has a gift to relate lessons learned through football to the lessons that players will need to be successful in their lives. Players routinely come to him for advice and guidance. He was so fortunate to Coach his sons and their friends through the program. Coach Pep is so excited to see so many former players come back and join the staff as well.

He operates Dental Health Care Associates. He and his wife, Jama, have two children, Roman (GVHS class of 2024) and Wyatt (GVHS class of 2026).

CORNERBACKS

Julius Flynn has coached at Garnet Valley for more than 15 years. A 1986 alumnus of the school, he has helped the Jaguars produce several top-flight defensive backs and lockdown pass defenses. His players are known for their footwork, their intelligent play--and for their ability to hang on to the 80 mile per hour bullets he throws!

Flynn has also coached at Brandywine High before returning to his alma mater. He was the first player in Cheyney history to earn first-team All-PSAC in all four seasons. A Cheyney Hall of Famer, he was the school’s Athlete of the Year and an All-American nominee in 1989. He also collected a host of East Coast Athletic Conference awards.

Flynn serves as an educator at the Conrad School of Science. He and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters, Dominque and Skylar.

KICKERS
SPECIAL TEAMS

Greg Mink is in his 24th season on the coaching staff here at his alma mater. He works with the kickers and special teams and oversees all of the technology components within the program. Greg is also in his 5th year providing play-by-play for our broadcast livestreams. Visit him at Ashley’s for the live GV Countdown to Kickoff show every Thur night with his broadcast partner Scott Green. As a coach during the week and an announcer on game nights, Coach Mink provides a uniquely interesting perspective on Friday nights.

Mink graduated from Garnet Valley in 1988 and from Shippensburg University in 1992, where he excelled as a placekicker. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Jaguars’ kicking game and a historical perspective of the program that the players love to hear him share. He loves the program’s family atmosphere and the emphasis on doing things the right way.

He is a Technology Analyst with Christiana Care Health System. Mink and his wife, Carrie (GV '89 Alum), live in the district and have three children: Makenna (GV ‘18/Penn State ‘22), Cullen (GV ‘21/Penn State ‘25, and GV Football alum) and Merrin (GV ‘25/Univ of Richmond ‘29).

SUPPORT STAFF

Coach O is a 2014 alumni of Garnet Valley High School and 3rd season as a member of this coaching staff. After GV, Curtis was accepted into Millersville’s integrative studies program. At Millersville, Coach Ostrowski got involved in a men’s group where they talked about issues personally and professionally.

After Millersville he got involved with AmeriCorps in 2019 as a Respite Apprentice. And most recently, in 2024 in Kentucky at a camp where he served as a mentor to Low income kids

Coach O strongly believes football is the least important thing we do. He can’t wait to see these young men do great things on and off the field.

FRESHMAN HEAD COACH

Casey Simpkins enters his sixth year as a member of the Garnet Valley football staff and his fifth as the head coach of the GV freshman football program.

Prior to joining Garnet Valley, Coach Simpkins spent two seasons as a freshman football assistant at Strath Haven High School and three seasons developing the offensive and defensive lines at Sun Valley High School; he also served as the program's freshman head coach for one season.

Coach Simpkins is a 2009 graduate of Interboro High School and a 2013 graduate of West Chester University. He also holds master's degrees from Wilkes University and Wilmington University. In the spring, he serves as Garnet Valley's freshman baseball coach.

In addition to coaching, Coach Simpkins teaches English at Garnet Valley High School. He and his wife, Briana, have a son named Ace and daughter named Penelope. 

SAFETIES

Coach Pond is entering his second year in the  Garnet Valley School District, and his first year with the Garnet Valley Football Staff. Presently, Coach Pond is an Emotional Support Teacher at Garnet Valley Middle School. 

A 2014 graduate of Pottsgrove High School, Coach Pond went on to play football and rugby at Ursinus College. Coach Pond graduated from Ursinus College in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in History; he then received his master’s degree in Special Education from Lehigh University in 2021. In 2023, Coach Pond began his coaching career at Pottsgrove High School where he was responsible for the Defensive/Offensive Lines, Kick Off Team, and the Football Team’s Strength and Conditioning Program. In 2024, he took over as Defensive Coordinator at Pottsgrove High School, and helped coach that 2024 Pottsgrove Team to a District 1 playoff appearance. 

Coach Pond enjoys seeing the development of positive, life-long habits in his players. He also enjoys spending time with his fiance, Lauren, and their dog, Chase.

SPEED TRAINING

Dr. Ken Clark is in his 4th year helping the Jags with their speed and agility in the summer months to prepare for the season.  Dr. Clark is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Ken's research focuses on the underlying mechanical factors in athletic performance and injuries. At Garnet Valley, our team speed has drastically improved the past three years due to Coach Clark’s teaching and program.  Coach Clark is routinely sent out to help our Olympic Relayers prepare for the olympics and is regarded as one of the best speed coaches in the United States of America!  Coach Clark, his wife, and two children live in the Garnet Valley School District. 

FILMER

Vinny Long is a 2019 graduate of Garnet Valley where he excelled as a manager for the football and basketball teams.  A recent Saint Joseph University graduate, Vinny is currently teaching in the greater Philadelphia area.  Since 2022 Vinny has been our reliable filmer for every game and a key contributor to our coaching staff. 

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

Nick Romaniello is a former 2024 graduate of Garnet Valley where he played varsity football as a middle linebacker and lacrosse as a midfielder. Nick is now a student at Westchester University where he studies psychology and is a member of the kickboxing club. Nick joined the Garnet Valley coaching staff 2 years ago right out of high school making him our youngest coach. Upon finishing college, Nick plans to join the DEA and coach when possible.

OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE CONSULTANT