Granville V. Magee

Granville V. Magee arrived at Manasquan High School in 1937 as athletic director, physical education teacher, and coach — and immediately set about building one of the most successful athletics programs in the state.

On the football field, Magee wasted no time. His teams won the NJSIAA Championship and Shore Conference title in 1939 — the first time in school history any Manasquan team had won both in the same season. His squads then reeled off 21 consecutive victories, a Shore Conference record at the time. When Pearl Harbor struck, Magee reported for military duty on New Year's Day 1942, spending three years running a prisoner of war camp at Ft. Niagara, NY. He returned to Manasquan in 1945 and led the Warriors to two more state championships in 1946 and 1947. His final football record was 52 wins, 14 losses, and 8 ties.

In basketball, Magee's teams reached the Shore Conference Tournament finals three straight years. In 1941, playing before a packed house at Asbury Park High School, they beat Neptune in overtime to win the first basketball SCT title in Manasquan history. His basketball record was 30-8. He also served as head track coach and introduced golf to the Shore Conference as a varsity sport in 1939.

After leaving Manasquan in 1954, Magee's influence continued to grow. He founded the New Jersey Athletic Officials Association, helped select Rutgers University's head coach, and became the first Superintendent of Wall Township Schools, overseeing construction of its new high school. Both Manasquan and Wall High School honor his memory with annual awards in his name.