This is the lead for this week. All three photos attached are file photos by me. I’m also going to find and forward some photos that were sent when he won his 300th game last spring.
Whenever Nick Landy needs a reminder of all that the Harrison boys volleyball program has accomplished during his tenure as head coach, all he needs to do is walk past the trophy case outside of the gymnasium or into the gymnasium and see the banners dedicated to its team and individual accomplishments.
After a 17-year stint in which Harrison went from an afterthought to a legitimate state power, Landy stepped down as its head coach in January.
Anthony Sabia, a Blue Tide alum and Landy’s top assistant for the past 16 seasons has been announced as the next head coach.
“It was a great transformation,” said Landy. ”I’ve always been a soccer fan and a fan of the (Harrison) program, but it was nice to have another team that was a competitor in the County playoffs and in the states every year. Now we even have a banner up in the school that highlights the kids that had a thousand kills and assists and that’s really cool”
Landry has coached multiple sports over the years at his alma mater, but it’s been boys volleyball where he’s enjoyed his greatest success.
Landy leaves with a 311-144 record, a stint that includes four Hudson County championships, two NJSIAA North 2, state sectional titles and five conference titles. Despite all the honors during his tenure, which includes being named State Coach of the Year by NJ.com in 2016, Landy would quickly point out that it took a group effort to reach these accomplishments.
“I always say I wasn’t a solo act. It was largely due to my assistant coaches and the players,” Landy said. “They bought into the whole program and did a lot of work on their own, whether it was club or open gyms. That has a lot to do with the success of everything.”
In 2015, Harrison broke through when it won its first Hudson County and North 2 championships. The following season, the Blue Tide repeated in both and made it all the way to the Tournament of Champions final before falling to Southern Regional.
All-State outside hitter Piot Namiotko led the way for a Harrison team, which was largely built by players who had come to the sport with different backgrounds and experience.
“The kids used to play in a school in Passaic where they would and they’d pay $3 to play in an open gym. They were just so into it and there was a group of them that would go together and play. That was really cool to see. And these were also kids that played other sports. They played football, they played basketball, but then they found this kindred spirit of everybody liking to play volleyball so they all got into it.”
Harrison again reached the top of Hudson County with titles in 2023 and 2024, but Landy’s impact has always been more that what can be measured in wins and losses.
The summer leagues and open gyms Harrison hosts throughout the year continue to grow, as have the off-court activities that strengthened the bonds within the program.
“One of the biggest takeaways that I’ll take with me is just the way he was able to make kids a part of something, and that doesn’t just happen automatically,” said Sabia. “The way that he fostered team building and family in a program are the things that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. The team dinners that he put together, the trips we would take to watch alumni play in college, that’s all stuff he brought to the program. Those are the type of activities and events and times together with your teammates that bring you closer together.”
Those connections to the program are sure to continue on as Sabia recently announced a coaching staff composed entirely of Harrison alums who have remained connected with the program.
It’s one of several reasons that Landy doesn’t expect too much to change with Harrison boys volleyball.
“It’s in good hands,” Landy said. “I feel like it’s just the program and the fact that all of the coaches are our former players, I don’t think anything (is going to change).
“The only thing that’s going to change is I’m going to be across the court in the stands as opposed to the other side of the court.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)