Jersey Boy: Monmouth legend Ron Kornegay

After their road win at Georgetown last night and the adorable antics of their bench players, Monmouth basketball is becoming 1 of the trendiest programs in the country.  JR PG Justin Robinson is 1 of the best scorers in the nation with more than 20 PPG, but it will take him a long time to pass Ron Kornegay’s 2526 career PTS and become the all-time leading scorer in school history.  After graduating from South Side Academy in Newark Ron became a 2-time 1st-team All-American in West Long Branch and helped lead the Hawks to 3 NAIA national tourneys.  After finishing his college career he became an assistant to head coach Bill Boylan, and when Boylan stepped down in 1975 Ron was named the 2nd head basketball coach in Monmouth history.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ron about being a sensational scorer and later becoming a coach/athletic director.

In 1965 you were a 1st-team all-state player at South Side High School in Newark despite being only 5’7”: did you consider your size to be an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I never really thought about it: most of the other PGs in the city were my size.

What are your memories of the 1966 NAIA tourney as a player at Monmouth (Earl Beechum scored 46 PTS in a 2-PT win by Midwestern State)? We lost at the buzzer. Beechum could really shoot the ball. It was our 1st trip to the national tourney so it was very new for us, but we played very well against a top-10 team.

What are your memories of the 1968 NAIA tourney (1-PT loss to Westminster at the buzzer)? It was another great game. We captivated the audience with our style and saw a lot of friends who we 1st met 2 years earlier. I have never seen more buzzer beaters than at that tourney. You have to win 5 games in a single week: it is unbelievable. The town of Kansas City closes down for the entire week.

What are your memories of the 1969 NAIA tourney (5-PT loss to MVP Jake Ford and eventual runner-up Maryland State)? Ford was a 1st round draft pick who spent many years in the NBA. I fouled out of that game.

1 of your college teammates was Ed Halicki, who later pitched a no-hitter for the Giants: how good of a basketball player was Ed, and which sport was he better at back in the day? Evidently he was a better baseball player: that no-hitter was against my Mets! He was a freshman when I was a senior but he is probably 1 of the better players to ever come out of Monmouth.

You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I never thought about that part of it because I only averaged 11 PPG in high school. My college coach gave me more freedom to score and my teammates helped me out. Records are made to be broken but I am very proud of my record and never thought that I would be in that position.

You were a 2-time NAIA All-American: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors? We had a great team that represented Monmouth very well. I had a great supporting cast who gave me the opportunity to play the style we played.

After graduation you became an assistant coach under Bill Boylan (the 1st coach in school history) before succeeding him as head coach in 1977: what made Boylan such a great coach, and how hard was it to follow in his large footsteps? He was a people person. I played 4 years and coached 8 years for him and never heard him utter a single curse word. We would run through a wall for him because he would do the same for us.

In 1983 your program made the leap to D-1: what is the biggest difference between NAIA and D-1? The athletes in D-1 are bigger/stronger/faster. We were aggressive with our scheduling and would play teams like Georgetown/St. John’s who had some of the best coaches in the country. It was a tough transition but it was a necessity and a good decision that has benefited the school.

You are currently the AD at Manasquan High School: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I love the job and have been here for well over a decade. It keeps me in the game and allows me to be around the game. I have a couple more years here before I retire and then I have no idea what I will do after that.