LCM seeking new head football coach

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Lower Cape May Regional High School is the process of finding a new head varsity football coach.

The position has become open in the wake of Brian Hindle’s resignation last month. Hindle had led the program for four seasons. Lower went a combined 12-28 during that span.

“I am very indebted to Lower Cape May for the opportunity to be a head football coach,” Hindle said in a telephone interview Monday. “I was still 26 years old when I got hired and I was one of the youngest head coaches in the entire area, so I’m very grateful to get the opportunity. At the end of the day, the reason (for stepping aside) is that I felt it’s in the best interest of the program because of certain things going on behind the scenes.”

Hindle said he did not wish to elaborate further.

Hindle took over a program that had struggled with numbers and had won just one game in 2015. Lower went 2-8 during each of his first two seasons as head coach but the team ended his second campaign with an upset victory over Middle Township in the Anchor Bowl on Thanksgiving Day. The Caper Tigers then enjoyed a 6-4 season in 2018, the program’s first winning season since going 7-3 and qualifying for the South Jersey playoffs in 2010. Lower slipped back to 2-8 last fall.

Hindle said Lower Cape May has six players from his teams currently playing at the college level, including past Mini Maxwell Club award winner Joe McGhee and past Schoppy award winner Brennan Ray. A current senior, Cameron Leslie, also won the Brooks-Irvine Club’s unsung hero award following the 2019 season.

“I feel like we accomplished a lot in four years,” said Hindle, who also serves as the wrestling coach at the Richard M. Teitelman School. “We quadrupled the win total from the previous four years, we increased the amount of people participating and we put a good number of kids into college football the last few years. I truly believe I did my best to do right by the district when I coached.

“I will forever be grateful and thankful for the opportunity I was given by Lower Cape May. I truly appreciate that. I love coaching and I don’t think I’m done coaching. But I think right now it’s in the best interest of the kids to go in a different direction.”

Lower Cape May athletic director Erik Simonsen confirmed that the school is currently conducting interviews with candidates for the position.