National Football Foundation

An outstanding leader who says he enjoys “helping young people become successful individuals,” Mike Gatley has played a pivotal role in honoring scholar-athletes with the NFF South Jersey Chapter.
 
Gatley’s roots in sports trace back to Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, New Jersey, where he was an all-South Jersey shooting guard for the Mustangs’ basketball team in 1980. He then played four years of basketball at Franklin & Marshall College (PA), where he earned his bachelor’s in history and secondary education in 1984. Gatley also holds a master’s degree from The College of New Jersey, and he received his Certified Master of Athletic Administration from the NIAAA.
 
After college, Gatley began his coaching career as an assistant basketball coach at The College of New Jersey, Elizabethtown College (PA) and the University at Albany before becoming the head coach at Kean University for three years. He also served as the head coach of the Atlantic City Seagulls in the United States Basketball League in 1996. Gatley was the supervisor of athletics at Hammonton High School (NJ) from 2001-11 before taking on the same position at his high school alma mater, Mainland Regional, where he works today. For his work, he received the Athletic Director of the Year Award from the Directors of Athletics Association of New Jersey for the 2019-20 school year. Additionally, he was recognized by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) with their prestigious Program of Excellence Award in 2021.
 
A member of the South Jersey Chapter’s executive committee for 10 years, Gatley has served as the outpost’s president since 2007. The chapter, which was founded in 1992, annually honors more than 20 high school scholar-athletes with each receiving a $500 scholarship. The chapter also presents official of the year, contribution to amateur football, coach of the year and Distinguished American awards. The South Jersey Chapter has also hosted a college night where players and parents can meet with college representatives and coaches from many area schools to learn more about what each school has to offer.
 
“The National Football Foundation has provided a vehicle for our South Jersey Chapter to recognize the best of the best: scholar-athletes, coaches of the year, officials of the year, etc.,” said Gatley. “The game of football is, by its own merit, the consummate team sport. The lessons learned on the gridiron last a lifetime.”
 
Gatley and his wife, Nancy, have been happily married for 32 years, live in Linwood, New Jersey, and have three children: Meagan (29), Mike (21) and Jillian (20). In his free time, Gatley enjoys golf and spending time with his family.