Athletic Camp Coaches
Liz Bona-Beach
Associate Director of Athletics, Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach, Director of Mott-Leeney Baseball Camp
Liz Bona came to Newark Academy in 2005 to serve as an assistant athletic director. During her time at NA, she has coached in the girls’ basketball, field hockey, and softball programs, serving as varsity girls’ basketball head coach since 2006. During her tenure, the team has won the Prep Championship twice and appeared in the sectional final in the state tournament. Liz celebrated win number 250 at NA in 2023 and has coached hundreds of players including a NJ Gatorade Player of the Year in Jocelyn Willoughby.
Prior to coming to Newark Academy, Liz played professional basketball in Luxembourg and Germany for 16 years, where she was a player-coach for her final five years in Luxembourg. During that time, she also worked at the International School of Luxembourg, teaching math and physical education, as well as coaching their youth teams. Liz holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Allegheny College, where she played basketball and participated on the track and field team.
Nick DeChino
Health Faculty, Strength and Conditioning Coach
Nick DeChino joined Newark Academy as the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Health/PE staff member in 2023 after eight years of coaching youth and professional athletes at both the team and individual levels.
Nick is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach under the NSCA. Prior to joining NA, Nick worked at and owned private training facilities, was the head strength coach at Montville High School and interned for Rutgers Football and the New York Jets. Nick received his Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science-Allied Health Track from Salisbury University in 2014.
Tessa Ferentinos
Varsity Cross Country Assistant Coach, Varsity Swimming Assistant Coach, MS Volleyball Coach, Varsity Softball Assistant Coach
Tessa Ferentinos joined Newark Academy in 2021. She is currently the varsity assistant coach for cross country, swimming and softball and also coaches middle school volleyball. Before NA, Tessa graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Science from Centenary University. While at Centenary, Tessa earned numerous all-conference honors as a member of the softball team and was also a member of the women's soccer team.
Daniel Petrillo
Humanities Faculty, Boys Varsity Basketball Head Coach
In 2023, Dan Petrillo joined the NA upper school coaching staff as the boys' varsity basketball head coach after five years teaching middle school humanities and serving as a coach in multiple schools at both the middle and high school levels. Dan is a 2006 graduate of Newark Academy, who during his tenure, was a four-year starter in both basketball and baseball. Dan earned multiple accolades during his athletic career including All-Conference, All-County and All-State team honors; Conference Player of the Year; and captain of both the boys’ basketball and baseball teams as a senior.
Dan holds a B.A. in History from the University of Rhode Island and a Masters degree in Special Education from Saint Elizabeth College. In 2021, he was inducted into Newark Academy’s Hall of Fame, honoring his accomplishments and records as a student-athlete.
Scott Rowling
Mathematics Faculty, Girls Varsity Soccer Head Coach
Scott Rowling joined Newark Academy in 2019, as a math teacher and varsity head coach of the girls’ soccer program. He has led the team to multiple division championships and was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2019. Prior to NA, Scott spent time teaching and coaching at independent schools in New York City and New Hampshire. Scott played collegiate soccer at the University of New Hampshire, where he was a four-year starter and two-year captain. Scott has also represented Team USA for the Maccabiah Games in Israel, where he captained the team to its first-ever gold medal.
Noelle Shirey
Assistant Director of Advancement - Marketing & Communications, Varsity Field Hockey Coach, Girls Varsity Lacrosse Coach
Noelle Shirey joined Newark Academy in 2018 as the Assistant Director for Annual Giving and the JV field hockey coach. In 2019, she was named the head coach of the field hockey program and in 2020, she was named head coach of the girls' lacrosse program.
Before joining Newark Academy, "Coach Shi" graduated with her Master's degree in Communication and a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Fairleigh Dickinson University playing both field hockey and lacrosse. At FDU, she was an all-conference player, winning conference titles and making it to the NCAA Tournament with both teams. While in school she served as the Assistant Coach of Field Hockey and Lacrosse at the Academy of St. Elizabeth in Morristown.