12/03/2025
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Profiles in Coaching: Meet Fred Napoli, Mainland Girls Head Soccer Coach
Like many coaches, Fred Napoli has had some great games. He’s also had games that made him question his decision to coach. The latter was the case when an unexpected phone call came right on time.
“I was the head coach of the boys' soccer team at Middletown, and we just had a really tough game—got really beat up,” Fred reflects. “And I was sitting in my office, thinking, What am I doing? Then, my phone rang.”
The voice on the other end was a player he’d coached years before, one of many athletes Fred refers to as his “soccer family.” Fred had convinced the young man to continue playing soccer in college.
“I was surprised to hear from him, and he just says thank you. And I said—for what? He tells me he just finished his Master's and earned his principal certification. He said he couldn’t have done it without me,” Fred shares. “That meant a lot and couldn’t have come at a better time.”
There have been many proud moments over Fred’s decades-long soccer career. Starting as a standout player at Middletown High School, Fred went on to play at Kean University, where he learned some important lessons; he also discovered his passion for coaching.
“When I arrived at Kean, I quickly realized I was no longer the best player on the field,” Fred laughs. “But that was a great lesson. I learned what it means to work hard for what you want. I switched positions and did whatever I could to get off the bench. That experience also influenced me as a coach. No matter how talented you are, you have to be ready to work hard and respect the game.”
Fred eventually became the assistant soccer coach at Kean and then the head coach of the Kean girls' soccer team. Realizing he wanted to make a career out of coaching, he attained his teaching certification in physical education and health and moved to Monmouth County to begin his career in high school coaching, first at Jackson High School, and then back home at Middletown.
“I’ve had some wonderful teams, and some unbelievably talented players,” Fred explains. “And some of my proudest moments have also come when we were the underdog and came out on top. We once had a state sectional championship game against a very talented Shawnee. It seemed like half their team was committed to some Division I school. We hung in until the very end. We may have lost, but we played better than anyone ever expected, especially the other team.”
Now retired from teaching, Fred and his wife, Betty, have settled in Northfield, close to one of his three brothers, Belhaven history teacher, John Napoli. Fred is working as a permanent substitute teacher in Mainland’s Special Education Department while also enjoying his first season as the head coach of Mainland’s girls' soccer team.
“This team is so wonderful to work with. The seniors possess strong leadership, the juniors are exceptionally talented, and the sophomores are hardworking. We also have a great group of freshmen, many I already knew from summer camps I coached.”
Although Fred may be new to Mainland, he’s not new to our soccer community, having helped run summer camps for the MUSA soccer program.
“My expectation for this season is that we play as well as we can for as long as we can,” Fred smiles. “That’s always the goal. And what I love about this team is that when something isn’t working, they want to know why and what they can do to fix it. Sometimes, you’ll get talented players who accept that the team isn’t good at something. Not these girls. They work hard every day to get better.”
Fred is a team player too, and insists he couldn’t do what he does without the support of his assistant coaches: Zach Adams, Liv Hansen, and Claire Eager, as well as boys' head coach, Alex Weidman, and his brother, John. “I am not used to having so much help,” he smiles, “and I am grateful for it all.”
***Since this article went to print, the Mustang girls soccer team finished their season 9-3 in the CAL, and 12-7 overall. They also defeated Cherry Hill West in the Group 3 tournament first round, before falling to Shawnee in the quarterfinals.
Congratulations on a great season and bright future!
