It is with a very heavy heart that we pass along the sad news that John E. Nagel, a Hall of Fame coach at St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City and a towering presence in the sport of cross-country and track and field in Hudson County for six decades, has passed away.
Nagel, a member of multiple Hall of Fames who racked up more than 200 championships since taking over the St. Dominic track and field and cross-county program in 1978, died this past Friday at the age of 65.
During his legendary coaching career, he led St. Dominic to 108 Jersey City Championships, 80 Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships, 52 Hudson County Championships, add three Non-Public B State Championships.
For all his accomplishments, Nagel was inducted into the Hudson County Coaches Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999, the New Jersey State Coaches Hall of Fame in 2000, the St. Peter's University Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Hudson County All Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. And in 2019, part of cross-country course at Lincoln Park in Jersey City was named the "John E. Nagel Running Path."
While known most for his coaching success, the most important part of Nagel's life was being a father to his loving daughter, Ashley.
"I met John through our sport back in the early 80's and I hired him as a bartender at the "Bridge Tavern,'' said John Tonero, a good friend of Nagel's and a longtime track and field coach and meet director. "John was a legend at SDA and will be truly missed by not only his current team, but by his alumni runners and athletes. May God's blessings be with him as the entire T&F community mourns his passing.''
"John did so much for the track & field community,'' said Marc MacNaughton, a friend's of Nagel's and a veteran track and field and XC official. "Reminiscing, I would meet John by the gate & give him 5 passes to get into Penn Relays every year. And a month ago we spoke on the phone and he asked me if I would be getting them for him again. I told him yes. That was the last time we spoke, and I secured him clerks for his SDA meet as he was stuck in Florida in the hospital. He was a character and did a lot for track. He will surely be missed!''
Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.
"