Mickey McDermott, head coach of New Jersey flag football powerhouse Ridgewood, will be stepping down from his role with the team, he announced Wednesday, Aug. 19.
McDermott, who helped launch Ridgewood's flag program back in 2021, has led the Maroons to three North / Central state titles in the past four seasons. (And to a close, 20-19 loss to Bayonne in this spring's North / Central final.)
He told NJ.com that growing international and professional flag football opportunities, alongside a desire to spend more time with his family, were his main reasons for leaving the team.
He remains the coach of the New York Jets Flag Elite, a travel flag team backed by the NFL team. He joined the team in 2025, and recently led the Jets 14U and high school club
teams to championships at the 'We Run the World' National Tournament in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
His resignation emphasizes a changing flag football ecosystem, where new opportunities for players and coaches alike are popping up everywhere. The sport has been expanding exponentially across the country, creating more professional avenues as its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles games inches nearer and the NCAA gets closerto officially adding it at the collegiate level.
Flag football in New Jersey is no outlier: flag became an officially sanctioned high school sport in the state this past May, and will play its first official season this spring - although teams like Ridgewood have already been dominating for years.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As flag football booms, title-winning high school coach makes surprising exit
