NJIT coach Jim Engles is leaving the Newark school to take the head coaching job at Columbia, according to multiple published reports. Engles built the NJIT program from the ground up, compiling a 41-27 record over the last two seasons and leading the Highlanders to consecutive semifinal appearances in the CIT.
A top lieutenant under Engles since August 2012, Brian Kennedy is viewed as the frontrunner in the NJ grassroots community. A player at both Princeton (1987) and Monmouth (1988-90), Kennedy has strong ties with the Neptune-based The Hoop Group (his brother Rob is the group’s president).