Ron Anello was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. He attended the Montclair Public Schools graduating from Montclair High School in 1976. Anello earned three varsity letters at Montclair High School before heading to The College of New Jersey. As a student at The College of New Jersey, then Trenton State College, he was a Health and Physical Education major. He was a member of the Football Team and the Sigma Tau Chi Fraternity. He lettered all four years for the Lions under coach Eric Hamilton, who was also president of the National Football Foundation Delaware Valley Chapter. Anello claimed All-League accolades at center, and the NFF Delaware Valley Chapter recognized him as a collegiate scholar-athlete in 1981.

 

After graduation from TCNJ in 1981, he embarked on a forty year career in education. He began his career as a teacher of Health and Physical Education at Montclair High School. He then moved on to  Snyder High School in Jersey City, while coaching football, basketball, baseball, and softball throughout his teaching career. He next accepted a teaching position at West Essex Regional High School in North Caldwell, New Jersey and became the Head Football Coach. Upon leaving West Essex, he became the Department Chairperson of Health and Physical Education at Wallkill Valley Regional High School in Hamburg, New Jersey. He then moved on to Clifton High School in the same capacity while also serving as the Head Football Coach and where he won two conference titles and a state championship. In 2011,he accepted the position of Director of Athletics and Activities at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, until retirement from there in December of 2021.

 

Ron then returned to his hometown taking the reins as Montclair's interim Athletic Director in December of 2022. Whether it was as a player and later as a teacher, a coach and an administrator, Ron Anello did it all with an undying passion and a determination to make every tomorrow an even better day. It is those qualities that led the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to recently make Anello an easy choice for the Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American Award.

 

A lifelong football man, Ron Anello has been involved in New Jersey football for more than 38 years. “Football is the greatest of team sports,” Anello said. “Even though it’s just a game, it teaches all of the necessary ingredients for one to be successful in life.”

 

Anello and his wife Debora have a son Gabriel and daughter Brittany.