Todd Decker says calls from at least three other schools cost him his Roselle Catholic head-coach job. The school disputes claims about his concerns, saying he never raised any issues about its future while he was employed and is now preparing to name a succes
For Todd Decker, the decision to pick up the phone started as a worry—and ended with him walking away from Roselle Catholic.
During the offseason, the boys basketball coach said he listened more intently than usual when approached by other schools. Decker told NJ.com that he took calls from at least three different schools. Roselle Catholic later informed him last week that he would not be returning as head coach for the 2026-27 season.
Decker said he never informed the school about those contacts. The 47-year-old added that the conversations weren’t just about opportunity; they were tied to a fear that Roselle Catholic could be forced to close. He said he obtained information suggesting the school was going to close in the next couple of years.
“Those calls cost me my job,” Decker said, without naming the schools. “I was approached by a couple different schools, by people associated with those programs, who wanted me to coach.”
He also linked the outreach to his own way of building connections. “I always network and try to leverage relationships. not only in my personal life. but basketball and in my biotech industry. RC got wind of it. The president wasn’t very happy with it. It happened one more time, and then he let me go.”.
Roselle Catholic acknowledged the contacts differently. The school said Decker never told it about those conversations. President Thomas Berrios also said there was no discussion between Decker and the school about the school’s viability or future.
“At no time was there ever a conversation between Roselle Catholic High School and Mr. Decker regarding the viability or future of the school,” Berrios said. “While we respect that individuals may have their own perspectives, Mr. Decker never raised these concerns with school leadership. That was simply not a topic that was discussed with him during his tenure.”.
Berrios insisted the focus remains on the school’s mission. “Roselle Catholic remains focused on its mission of providing a faith-based, college-preparatory education rooted in the Marist tradition,” he said. “We are grateful for the continued support of our students. families. alumni. faculty. and benefactors. and we are excited about the future of RC.”.
Berrios said Roselle Catholic is close to naming a new basketball coach and expressed appreciation for the work Decker did over the past three seasons. “We wish Coach Decker good luck. We were very happy with the job he did,” he said.
Decker’s tenure included major achievements in a program he helped steady through transition. He compiled a 194-61 record at Roselle Catholic and guided the Lions to the Non-Public B state championship in 2025. The Lions also won the Union County Tournament crown in February.
In his first season, Decker took over an inexperienced team. Roselle Catholic started 0-6 before closing strongly to finish 14-12 and No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20. The Lions later rose to No. 3 in 2025 and No. 4 in 2026.
“The first year was crazy,” Decker said. “We still had parents in the gym trying to run stuff, and we had to really change the culture with that.” He credited assistant coaches Dennis DuBois and Jahki Clark with help, and both were also let go along with Decker.
Seniors Trevon Lewis. Tyrease Hunter and Kahlik Thomas formed the backbone of a thin but talented. hard-working roster during the past two seasons. Decker said the team’s identity sharpened over time. “The last two years we were able to really accomplish something with the type of ball we played,” he said. “It was a great culture. We didn’t have any (personal) trainers behind the bench trying to do stuff, or parents trying to interfere. It was a smooth operation.”.
His departure also marks the end of a third stint as head coach. Before Roselle Catholic, Decker served at St. Peter’s Prep from 2011 through 2014 and The Patrick School’s post-graduate team from 2019 through 2021. At St. Peter’s Prep, he led the school to the Non-Public A state final in both 2013 and 2014. Those teams lost both times to St. Joseph (Met.) squads led by current New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Decker took over Roselle Catholic after Dave Boff left following the 2022-23 season to become head coach at College Achieve-Asbury Park. Under Boff, Roselle Catholic won four Tournament of Champions titles, including the final one in 2022. Boff’s last Roselle Catholic team in 2022-23 finished 22-5 and won both Non-Public B and Union County titles.
Decker said he is not looking at the end of his role as the end of his basketball life. He runs his own AAU/training clinics and stays involved throughout the year. He also has a job in the biotech industry, where he has worked for the past 23 years.
He said he will be working at the NBA Basketball School in Paris, France in July.
Still, his time at Roselle Catholic wasn’t just about X’s and O’s. Decker said he was thrown off by the fundraising duties attached to the head coaching position. “When I originally took the job. I thought Dave (Boff) was coming back to do his fundraising job. I didn’t know he was going to start another program until the article came out that he’d gone there. ” Decker said.
Even so, Decker said he and his coaching staff raised tens of thousands of dollars in the past three years. He also said he donated his $5,000 coaching stipend back to the school.
Decker ended his remarks on a personal note, grateful for his time in the program. “I’m very grateful for the three years I had at RC. Made a lifetime of memories,” he said. “If we want to keep going, I think we’ll be able to find another opportunity somewhere in the near future.”
The dispute between what Decker says he feared and what Roselle Catholic says it was told is now left behind the last whistle—and it will likely linger as the school moves toward a new era of its boys basketball program.
Roselle Catholic Todd Decker New Jersey basketball Non-Public B Union County Tournament NJ.com boys basketball coach Thomas Berrios Dave Boff Karl-Anthony Towns