“More than I have ever imagined,” John Murtaugh said, with a tear in his eye, when describing Pascack Valley’s effect on him. 

Murtaugh’s path to those PV doors has been unconventional. As a high school student at Northern Valley Old Tappan, he fell in love with child development—specifically that of kids with special needs. 

“They [were] really dynamic and different,” Murtaugh said.

In college, he continued his interest in early childhood development. However, when facilitating a swim class with a young man with Down syndrome, he fell in love with special needs teaching and began to pursue a career in that area.

After college, his career path, however, took a turn. For 38 years, he owned and worked for a tree company with his brother. At 50 years of age, Murtaugh exited the tree business and joined the teaching world. 

“I came in [to teaching] with a slightly different perspective,” Murtaugh said.

Once he obtained his teaching permit, he entered into a teaching role. Murt, as Pascack Valley students lovingly call him, began working for Christian charities and spent a year at a residential Catholic school. The kids at this school had ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), which—according to hopkinsmedicine.org—means these children “are uncooperative, defiant, and hostile toward peers, parents, teachers, and other authority figures.” 

“At least once or twice a week, [I was breaking up fights],” Murtaugh said. “ [I remember hitting route 80] and getting this sick feeling in my stomach,” Murtaugh said about his commute to work each day. “Every day going home, hitting the parkway… this weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”

After a one year stint there, Murtaugh ended up at Northern Valley Old Tappan again, taking the place of a teacher who went on maternity leave. After that maternity leave replacement ended, he went back on the job hunt.

“At Old Tappan, I was volunteering [as a track] coach, and [saw head football coach Brian Dunne]. He saw a t-shirt that I had on, and it had to do with autism,” Murtaugh said.

Murtaugh was a member of the Knights of Columbus, which he explains does a lot of work with kids with autism. Dunne mentioned that his son has autism, and he and Murt began to talk. They discussed many common connections including the fact Murtaugh was working with Dunne’s brother Peter as an assistant track coach. 

When Murtaugh expressed that he was in the process of applying to Pascack Valley for a job, Brian Dunne talked about his connections to Valley. All the positive connections that Dunne discussed only further encouraged Murtaugh to want to be part of the Pascack Valley community.

A few weeks later, Murtaugh had an interview with Pascack Valley. 

“It was magical and terrifying at the same time,” Murtaugh said.

Murtaugh had a running past, and he explains that he highlighted his coaching background when applying for a teaching position. Once Murtaugh was hired as a special education teacher, he had the opportunity to come on to the PV spring track program as a volunteer coach. 

“The following year I volunteered with [Russ] Grier and [Brian] Koch and then that turned into an [indoor track] position,” Murtaugh explains.

Russ Grier and Murtaugh have had a relationship, both through coaching and teaching, since Murtuagh came to PV. Whether teaching an outdoor survival class during Pascack Period together or coaching the cross country team to a state sectional championship, the two have worked together in many aspects.

When asked about coaching with Murtaugh, Grier said, “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and to put them all together to combine force [was great]… This was the first time since 1992 that we won [the state sectional title], so that was really cool.”

Murtaugh explains that coaching, and even teaching, doesn’t feel like a job but rather as a love he enjoys and values.

“I tell the kids that [if] you find a job where the paychecks sneak up on you, that’s a good job,” Murtaugh said. 

In Murtaugh’s room, there is a wall decorated with photos of athletes and people that have had an impact on his life. The wall commemorates success he has had with various athletes throughout his coaching career.

“There are photos with individual athletes who I have had a great deal of success with. With the success… comes the friendship that has evolved from freshman year to senior year… which to me is most important,” Murtaugh describes.

The photos, Murtaugh explains, are reminders of the time he spent working with these athletes. Tying back to the sectional win, Murtaugh says that this year was the first year in a while in which he is commemorating overall team success, rather than individual achievements from his runners.

“Though I’ve had individual [runners’] success, this is the first year we had a really solid, successful cross country team, which is sweet,” Murtaugh said.

This year’s sectional title win was a historic milestone for Murtaugh and for the PV Cross Country program. Runner Michael Pizzella thinks the world of Murtaugh, and this year’s sectional title win was a culmination of his and Murtaugh’s hard work.

“I don’t think anyone works harder than him. He trains kids every day; even after practice he’ll train [younger runners]. He has instilled in me these really great values that you’re not going to get anywhere else but Pascack Valley,” Pizzella said. “I am so thankful that he has been my coach.”

Pizzella was able to lead PV to its first sectional title since 1992. The team was named the Bergen County Cross Country Team of the Year for its success.

“He has always been there for us, freshman year through senior year,” Pizzella said. “[We learned] how to trust his coaching style and that he is going to get you there, [while also] having faith that he has all the right workouts [for us].  He did a really great job of having everyone come together and love each other.”

After winning Boys Cross Country Bergen County Group B Championship, a group of seven runners—consisting of Michael Pizzella, Connor Oates, Jay Ramirez, Aaron Ng, Patrick Kurtz, Marc Monti, and Christopher Martino—helped lead Pascack Valley to a NJSIAA North 1 Group 2 State Sectional Championship. Murtaugh was awarded the Bergen County Cross Country Coach of the Year for his and the team’s efforts.

Although track and field is an individual sport, Murtaugh, during the state sectional run, stressed the importance of coming together as a team and as a unit. 

“When we did our workouts, we did it as a group and I think that is what has really made the difference. They [trained] together and [ran] together,” Murtaugh said.

Since he first entered the Pascack Valley doors, Murtaugh has felt the energy of Pascack Valley, and continues to feel it to this day.

“The greetings I get from each kid walking down the hall… I could be sick as could be, recovering from bilateral hip surgery. It [doesn’t feel like] a job. It has been a gift,” Murtaugh said. “The incredible population that comes here, teachers, administration, [it’s been amazing].”

Not only does Murtaugh train high school kids through the cross country program, but Murtaugh coaches youth athletes as well. Murtaugh started his coaching career 26 years ago, coaching kids from St. Johns and St. Andrews. He then started a track program in Westwood but left that and began working for a running club out of Ridgewood. Eventually, after coaching at Pascack Valley for a while, he created a youth program here at Pascack Valley.

“I think my delivery and the way I introduce running to younger kids [allows] it to stay with them,” Murtaugh said. “I have kids from different towns and this school who have been going since eight and nine years old who are now Division 1 athletes.” 

One athlete Murtaugh mentioned was Ben Malone, a former runner of his who started a professional career in running. Malone and Murtaugh have always had a good relationship, and remain close to this day. 

“Murt had such a huge impact on me, both as a runner and as a person,” Malone said. “Murt does such a good job of balancing having fun with all the hard work that is required to improve as an athlete, which I think allows his teams to be excited to come to practice rather than dread it.”

Malone says that the memories he has with Murtaugh and the PV Cross Country program will never be forgotten, and he is thankful for the support system Murtaugh created, which allowed Malone to be so successful.

“I am so thankful to have had him as a coach, and PV is so lucky to have someone who undoubtedly has a positive impact on so many students—whether they [are] runners or not,” Malone said. 

Murtaugh also mentioned Jeff Roberts as a runner who has had an impact on him and as someone he still keeps in contact with today.

“From day one, Murt and I immediately clicked because he knew how much I wanted to win. Even with [my] ambitious goals, Murt was constantly in my corner trying to get me better,” Roberts said. “Even when I was hurt or we didn’t agree on some things, we both knew we wanted the same thing: for me to be the best version of myself.”

Chelsea Lee and Ashley Evans were two runners that also affected Murtaugh and were affected by him.

“I performed my best under Coach Murt, and his impact on my life goes beyond high school athletics,” Lee said.

Ashley Evans also had positive words to contribute about Murt.

“Murt was one of the best coaches I ever had, and he taught me so much on and off the track,” Evans said. “He really showed me the importance of enjoying what you are doing while also working hard, which made my time on his team so valuable and memorable to me.”

Although Lee, Evans, Malone, and Roberts had fantastic athletic achievements throughout their running careers, Murtaugh values one thing above the performances: friendship.

Murtaugh remembers one specific moment when he received a text from Jaleel Felton, a former runner of his. Felton had just ran his final high school race ever, and sent Murtaugh a text while Murtaugh was on the Garden State Parkway; the text read “Murt, I just want to thank you for the best years of my life.” 

“I pulled over and started bawling,” Murtaugh said with a smile. “I’m a big crybaby. But stuff like that is what coaching is all about.”

Felton, who went on to run track and field at the University of Rhode Island, thanks Murtaugh for everything he has done for him to be successful in all aspects of life.

“[Murt] taught me so much and gave me the tools to be so successful on and off the track. He believed in me, which allowed me to believe in myself,” Felton said.

Even in the youth groups Murtaugh runs, he always wants the kids, students, and athletes to respect and support each other in all aspects. Murtaugh stresses that you are only as good as the way you treat and support other athletes.

Murtaugh constantly thinks of his days when he was 80-90 feet up in the air. He says that every tree is different, just like every day is different when he arrives at Pascack Valley.

“Every day in Pascack Valley is different. The dynamics of that are so comparable to me in the trees,” Murtaugh said. 

Murtaugh questioned whether or not he was going to be good enough for this at 50 years old. 

“I was so much more comfortable in the canopy of the trees than standing in front of the classroom,” Murtaugh said.

Understandably, just like the first time being in the trees, there was fear. But as he began to become more comfortable, like he has with teaching, it became easier.

“Now an administrator walks in, and I’m like ‘What do you want?,’” Murtaugh said, laughing.

This year’s cross country team allowed for a “sweet” victory, which Murtaugh described as a culmination of the group’s work from freshman to senior year. As much as he values team and player success, Murt believes the friendships and relationships he has made and maintained throughout these runners’ lives is the most important to him.