Coach Mittelman

Founder/Director Jason Mittelman a certified personal trainer, with a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from Montclair State University, just completed his 14th season as the head boys’ varsity basketball coach of the Glen Rock Panthers. The 2023-2024 Panthers won their 4th consecutive NJIC division title. Finishing 10-0 in the Colonial division, Coach Mittelman received Coach of the year honors. The Panthers made it to the NJIC finals in conference tournament play for the first time, and returned to the sectional semi-finals for the 2nd consecutive season; falling to Vernon in overtime. The team won an impressive 20 games, and saw two team members receive all-county honors, including one first team nod; the first in Coach Mittelman’s tenure. A conference realignment saw the Glen Rock Panthers in a new look Colonial division for the 2022-2023 season. Despite a second consecutive season of graduating five senior starters, the team won another Colonial Division title going 10-0 in division play. Returning to the state tournament, with an overall record of 16-11, the Panthers secured an 11 seed. With an upset win over Pequannock followed by a 2nd round win over Wallkill Valley, the team reached the sectional semi-finals for the first time in Coach Mittelman’s tenure. For a 3rd consecutive season Coach Mittelman received coach of the year honors. The 2021-2022 season saw the return to a full season with some restrictions regarding fan attendance. A new world with Covid still a looming factor the Panthers replaced five senior starters from a season ago with five new senior starters. Despite the changes to the lineup, the team picked up where it left off. Another division title, the Panthers finished 12-2 in the Colonial Division and 17-9 overall. The team secured the 8 seed in the state tournament, but were upended by the 9 seed Demarest who ended up advancing to the sectional final. Coach Mittelman received coach of the year honors in the Colonial Division. The 2021 season was almost the season that never was. The Covid-19 pandemic shut down Spring sports and all GRHS basketball Summer activities. The Winter start date was pushed back several times to a later start date, and once the team got started the varsity was quarantined after only seven practices. Fortunately, though the team was able to recover and get in all fifteen games permitted by the NJSIAA. There would be no state playoffs or county tournaments, but they were grateful for the opportunity to compete. Last season’s tough schedule proved to be a valuable experience for the returning seniors. The team went 13-2 overall, and 9-0 in the NJIC Division 1. Coach Mittelman received coach of the year honors both in Division 1 and overall for the NJIC conference as awarded by The Star Ledger (NJ.com). The 2019-2020 campaign was a transition season. Graduating several key contributors, including the team’s top two scorers, saw the Panthers take a step back finishing 10-15 overall, and 8-8 in the NJIC Colonial Division. While taking a small step back in regards to wins and losses, the program took a big step forward, entering a new holiday tournament at St. Joseph’s and taking on an overall more competitive independent schedule. The Panthers found themselves in many close games against tough competition. Despite the sub .500 record, because of the strength of schedule, the team made the state playoffs. However, they received the #15 seed and a matchup against the #2 seeded Pascack Hills; to whom the Panthers fell. The 2018-2019 season was a bounce back season. The Panthers finished 18-6, won another Ridgefield Memorial Holiday Tournament championship, and returned to the county Jamboree and the state tournament. A rebuilding season, the 2017-2018 Glen Rock Panthers finished 9-16. Highlights from the season included a Ridgefield Holiday Tourney Championship and winning 4 of their last 5 games of the season including winning 3 in a row. The 2016-2017 season saw the Panthers go 16-10 overall and earn 2nd place in the 9 team NJIC Colonial division. The Panthers also found their way back to the Bergen County Jamboree Tournament; their 2nd appearance in 4 years. They also won their 2nd Ridgefield Holiday Tournament Championship. A fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament including a first round 60-32 victory over High Point. The 2015-2016 season was Coach Mittelman’s third consecutive winning season, with a league record of 12-4 and 16-8 overall. The Panthers won a share of the NJIC Colonial division title. It was the first league title for a Glen Rock HS boys basketball team since 1999. Coach Mittelman was named coach of the year in the NJIC Colonial Division. The 2014-2015 season, represented the second straight season, and the first time in fifteen years that the Glen Rock Panthers made the state tournament in consecutive seasons and won a first round game. The Panthers finished with a league record of 11-5 (14-12 overall) and finished in third place in the NJIC Colonial division that consists of nine teams. The 2013-2014 campaign was the most successful season for the Glen Rock High School boys basketball program since 1988. The team finished with a record consisting of 20 wins and only 6 losses, including a holiday tournament championship. They earned a spot in the Bergen County Jamboree where they made it to the quarterfinals with two upset victories and became the lowest seed to do so in the history of the tournament. The Panthers made it back to the state tournament for the first time in four seasons garnering a first round win before dropping a heartbreaking 1-point loss in the second round.

Coach Mittelman came to the position with over 10 years of coaching experience at the high school level. While attending Rutgers University, he began his basketball-coaching career at the esteemed Five Star Basketball Camp. At Five Star he was mentored by some of the best basketball coaches in the country and he applied those teachings with great success. From the summer black topped courts, Coach Mittelman went on to to be the boys’ freshman basketball coach at St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. After two years of service and upon graduating from Rutgers University, where Coach Mittelman also acted as a student manager for the men’s varsity basketball team, he returned to his roots in Brooklyn, New York. There he was employed as the boys’ junior varsity and assistant varsity basketball coach at Midwood High School. At Midwood High School, where Coach Mittelman was a varsity basketball starter his senior year, Coach Mittelman turned the junior varsity program around and at the varsity level had the opportunity to help develop several division I college basketball players.

Prior to becoming the head coach for the boys program at Glen Rock High School, Coach Mittelman held the position as the girls’ junior varsity and assistant varsity basketball coach. Within three years of working with the girls teams Coach Mittelman helped lead the varsity team to the state sectional championship game for the first time in over two decades.

The Glen Rock Basketball Academy was founded in 2011, after over a decade of Coach Mittelman’s experiences working basketball camps, coaching high school basketball, and running his own clinics in Glen Rock, New Jersey. Since 2011, the Glen Rock Basketball Academy has instructed hundreds of male and female youth basketball players.