BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — What makes a good coach? When his team wins.
Winning is everything.
What makes a successful coach?
One who surrounds himself with a staff he can trust.
One who, along with his staff, takes great pains to pick the right players with which to go to battle.
One who, sometimes, also finds the luck necessary to go with the strategy.
Chris Roof is that coach.
Since his first season as a varsity head baseball coach in 2001, the 1992 Governor Livingston High School graduate and former Montclair State University baseball standout has proven to be among the top coaches in all of New Jersey.
Why?
Because he cares, prepares and has always surrounded himself with knowledgeable people.
Governor Livingston baseball didn’t always win with Roof. It took a fifth try in the Union County Tournament championship game before he guided the Highlanders to their first-ever county crown.
Roof didn’t win his first trip to Toms River either, losing to the late Dave Minsavage of Hanover Park High School in 2006.
However, the players continued to come through the program. Then the titles came: Group 2 in Toms River in 2011 and 2015 and then again in Hamilton last year. UCT crowns were won in 2016, 2018, 2021 and again last year.
As good as those teams were, they were not perfect. There were losses.
When Governor Livingston got off to a good start last year, en route to a 28-5 finish, Roof said: “you can’t really judge us yet. We haven’t played the toughest part of our schedule.”
After his team defeated Delbarton School, 11-4, this year, Roof said, “Yes, we have a team capable of having a really good season, but all teams lose. This one will, too. That’s just baseball.”
Never one to boast about his team’s success, this year, Roof was wrong. His Highlanders never lost.
Everyone else in New Jersey did, however; including the high-profile parochial schools. That meant Governor Livingston’s 28-0 final record was worthy enough for a final No. 1 state ranking. For the first time in program history, the Highlanders closed as the top-ranked team in New Jersey.
Governor Livingston repeated as UCT, Central Jersey, Group 2 and Group 2 champions all for the first time and also won the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division title. For the third time in program history, Governor Livingston won 28 games, which is tied for the school record, along with the 2015 and 2024 teams that also went on to win Group 2 state championships.
This dream season also saw Roof, 51, become the fifth coach from Union County to reach 500 wins.
The State Coach of the Year in New Jersey in 2011, this year, Roof was honored by the American Baseball Coaches Association as a National Coach of the Year for 2025.
Roof was one of eight to be named a High School Division II Regional Coach of the Year by ABCA/ATEC. The others were from high schools in New York, Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, Idaho and California.
“I’m so honored to receive this national award by ABCA/ATEC,” said Roof, who was also named Union County Coach of the year by nj.com for this season. “I want to thank my players and my assistant coaches for making this happen.”
The ABCA/ATEC National and Regional Coaches of the Year are selected by members of the ABCA All-America & Coach of the Year Committees in all nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division and high school.
Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its more than 15,000 members represent all 50 states and 41 countries.
ATEC Sports manufactures industry-leading training equipment and machines for elite baseball and softball programs. From training machines to tees, nets and screens, ATEC sets the standard when it comes to equipment today and is the Official Training Equipment of Major League Baseball.
Notes: Roof will begin his 25th season as a head coach in 2026 and 22nd at Governor Livingston, with a lifetime record of 504-184-1 (.733). Roof was 54-34 (.614) in his three seasons at Millburn in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and, at Governor Livingston during his first 21 seasons, his record is 450-150-1 (.750).
Roof has guided the Highlanders to their only five UCT championships and the last four of their five Group 2 state titles. Roof also led Millburn to a sectional title.
Roof and Ray Korn of Roselle Catholic and Elizabeth are tied for the most with four of leading Union County teams to state championships on the field since 1971.