Wednesday night marked the end of an era for Rutgers Prep girls basketball. Legendary head coach Mary Klinger announced her retirement after 42 seasons at the helm for the Argonauts.
Rutgers Prep’s Mary Klinger, one of NJ’s all-time coaching greats, has called it a career after a highly successful run with the Argonauts. Klinger won a national championship as a player at Rutgers in 1982 before embarking on a coaching career where she would build Rutgers Prep into a perennial power.
The list of accolades is nearly endless as Klinger would amass 757 wins (5th all-time in NJ) while guiding the Argonauts to three state titles, six sectional titles, 15 Prep championships, and 11 county championships during her time at Rutgers Prep. She is also a member of the NJSCA, New Jersey Sports Writers, and Rutgers Athletics Halls of Fame, to name a few. Klinger was also named the NFHS National Coach of the Year in 2021-22 and won the John Wooden Legacy Award in 2023.
While her coaching career may be over, Klinger is expected to continue her work with the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association, USA Basketball, and Nike Girls EYBL according to NJ.com’s Chris Nalwasky.
JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis was there in 2024 when Klinger became the seventh girls basketball coach in state history to reach 700 career victories:
