Raised in East Orange, Pat attended Clifford Scott HS and after graduation obtained his BA from Seton Hall University and MA from Kean University.
Pat began his forty-two-year journey in education as a teacher, coach and ultimately the Director of Athletics at his alma mater, Clifford Scott HS, where he spent the initial twenty-seven years of his career. Upon the conclusion of that assignment Pat spent two years as Assistant Principal and Director of Athletics at Elmwood Park HS and then moved on to Livingston High School where he spent fourteen years as their Director of Athletics before retiring in 2015.
Some of the numerous honors that Pat received during his four-decade run in education include being named the Essex County Athletic Director of the Year in 1997, recipient of the Director of Athletics Association of NJ Sectional Award of Merit on 2005 and inducted into the Livingston HS Hall of Fame in 2015 and his induction into the Director of Athletics Association of NJ Hall of Fame in 2019.
Throughout these years Pat has been involved in numerous athletic activities including the Director of the Northern Hills Conference, President of the Essex County Athletic Directors Association and Iron Hills Conference, DAANJ Hall of Fame selection committee, Volleyball assignor for the Colonial Hills, Northern Hills and Iron Hills Conferences however the most rewarding involvement has been the past twenty-two years where he has been working with some outstanding legends in New Jersey scholastic ice hockey, serving as an Officer of the New Jersey Interscholastic Ice Hockey League and in recent years, their President.
Together we have built the New Jersey Interscholastic Ice Hockey League into which arguably is the premier scholastic Ice hockey league in New Jersey. Currently consisting of forty-six programs including the iconic Gordon Conference and recently, admitting fifteen girl’s programs into the NJIIHL, the league has blossomed into one that we are all proud of.
Pat has been supported and blessed throughout his entire career by his wife offorty-six years, Carol Ann, by his daughters Chrissy Genova and her sister Amanda Cognetti along with her husband Paul, and two awesome grandchildren, Luca Joseph and Mia Francesca. Additionally, Luca and Mia are expecting a brother in April, 2024.
