Colonel Joseph Andrew Molitoris, USMC, Retired (Coach Mol was a football coach and military officer. Molitoris coached the Boonton High School football team in Boonton, New Jersey that won the 1968 Group II State championship during an undefeated season. During he early 1960s, he coached Jim Kiick, a running back who went on to win two Super Bowl championships with the Miami Dolphins. Kiick played on the 1972 Dolphins team that attained an undefeated NFL season (including the regular season and the NFL playoffs).
Early Life and Education
Molitoris was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania in 1928. He graduated from Morristown High School in Morristown, New Jersey in 1946. Molitoris then studied at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont and Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia. [1] He was on the football and track teams.
He was married to the former Dorothy Claire O'Neill of West Orange, NJ. Together they raised three children Andrea P. Nafziger, Lieutenant Colonel Patricia M. Molitoris, USMC (Retired), and Thomas Molitoris. They have seven grandsons and one great grandson. Their grandson Ryan served four combat tours in the USMC, and he is currently serving as a combat medic in the Army National Guard.
Coaching Career
Molitoris guided his teams to winning seasons in 19 of 20 years coaching high school football in northern New Jersey. He coached for 15 years at Boonton High School and and 5 years at Morristown School (now Morristown-Beard School) in Morristown, New Jersey.
Military Career and Post-Military Career
During his 37 year-military career, Molitoris served with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. He reached the level of Colonel with the Marines. Following his military career, Molitoris served as a founding vice president of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation. [2]
References
- ^ [ 1951 Obituaries]"Col. Joseph Andrew Molitoris, USMC (Ret.), died peacefully on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at the age of 83. Born in Wilkes Barre, PA, he was a long time resident of Boonton, NJ. In November 1944, Joe left high school and enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater as a ship-board radio operator. He resumed his high school education in 1946 and graduated from Morristown High School, NJ in 1946. He enrolled at Norwich in the fall of 1947 and transferred to Bethany College in West Virginia in February 1949. He was recalled to active duty in 1951 and served 10 months with the Marine Corps in the Korean Conflict. He left active duty as a 1LT in 1953 and served in the Marine Corps Reserves from 1953 until his retirement in 1981 as a colonel after 35 years of service. ... Joe also spent almost 40 years at Boonton High School as a football, baseball and track coach, as well as a teacher. After he retired in 1993, he served on the Boonton Board of Education before deciding not to run again after his term expired in 2007. Joe coached some of the best teams in the school's history, including the team of 1968, the only team in the school's history to go undefeated, that won the Group II state championship. He is also known for coaching Boonton High School's best known alumnus, former Miami Dolphins running back Jim Kiick, who went on to win two Super Bowls and was a part of the undefeated 1972 team. "
- ^ "In Memory of Joseph A. Molitoris". The Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation Newsletter (41): 4. 2011.
Colonel Joseph Andrew Molitoris, USMC, Retired (Coach Mol was a football coach and military officer. Molitoris coached the Boonton High School football team in Boonton, New Jersey that won the 1968 Group II State championship during an undefeated season. During he early 1960s, he coached Jim Kiick, a running back who went on to win two Super Bowl championships with the Miami Dolphins. Kiick played on the 1972 Dolphins team that attained an undefeated NFL season (including the regular season and the NFL playoffs).
Early Life and Education
Molitoris was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania in 1928. He graduated from Morristown High School in Morristown, New Jersey in 1946. Molitoris then studied at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont and Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia. [1] He was on the football and track teams.
He was married to the former Dorothy Claire O'Neill of West Orange, NJ. Together they raised three children Andrea P. Nafziger, Lieutenant Colonel Patricia M. Molitoris, USMC (Retired), and Thomas Molitoris. They have seven grandsons and one great grandson. Their grandson Ryan served four combat tours in the USMC, and he is currently serving as a combat medic in the Army National Guard.
Coaching Career
Molitoris guided his teams to winning seasons in 19 of 20 years coaching high school football in northern New Jersey. He coached for 15 years at Boonton High School and and 5 years at Morristown School (now Morristown-Beard School) in Morristown, New Jersey.
Military Career and Post-Military Career
During his 37 year-military career, Molitoris served with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. He reached the level of Colonel with the Marines. Following his military career, Molitoris served as a founding vice president of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation. [2]
References
- ^ [ 1951 Obituaries]"Col. Joseph Andrew Molitoris, USMC (Ret.), died peacefully on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at the age of 83. Born in Wilkes Barre, PA, he was a long time resident of Boonton, NJ. In November 1944, Joe left high school and enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific Theater as a ship-board radio operator. He resumed his high school education in 1946 and graduated from Morristown High School, NJ in 1946. He enrolled at Norwich in the fall of 1947 and transferred to Bethany College in West Virginia in February 1949. He was recalled to active duty in 1951 and served 10 months with the Marine Corps in the Korean Conflict. He left active duty as a 1LT in 1953 and served in the Marine Corps Reserves from 1953 until his retirement in 1981 as a colonel after 35 years of service. ... Joe also spent almost 40 years at Boonton High School as a football, baseball and track coach, as well as a teacher. After he retired in 1993, he served on the Boonton Board of Education before deciding not to run again after his term expired in 2007. Joe coached some of the best teams in the school's history, including the team of 1968, the only team in the school's history to go undefeated, that won the Group II state championship. He is also known for coaching Boonton High School's best known alumnus, former Miami Dolphins running back Jim Kiick, who went on to win two Super Bowls and was a part of the undefeated 1972 team. "
- ^ "In Memory of Joseph A. Molitoris". The Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation Newsletter (41): 4. 2011.