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John Valore named new coach at Holy Cross Academy

The former Camden coach lands at the private school in Delran.

New Holy Cross Academy coach John Valore spent five seasons at Camden.
New Holy Cross Academy coach John Valore spent five seasons at Camden.Read moreTim Tai/Staff photographer

John Valore is back on the basketball sidelines.

The veteran coach, who resigned in March after five seasons at Camden, has been installed as the new boss at Holy Cross Academy.

"It's a challenge," Valore said. "I'm excited about it."

Valore is one of the winningest coaches in South Jersey history, with more than 600 victories in a career that spans more than 40 years. He spent 35 seasons and won more than 500 games with Cherry Hill East, where the court bears his name.

Valore spent one season at Cumberland, then led Camden for five seasons. His Panthers teams were 118-36 with four South Jersey Group 2 titles and four appearances in the Group 2 state finals.

Valore resigned from Camden after last season, when the Panthers were upset by eventual state champion Haddonfield in the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals.

"We just couldn't finish," Valore said, referring to Camden's inability to capture the elusive 12th state title in the program's fabled history.

At Holy Cross Academy, Valore takes over a basketball program that will be part of a school that has undergone a structural change in recent months. Formerly a school under the auspices of the Diocese of Trenton, Holy Cross is an independent school that will attempt to remain open under a new model of operation. The school is leasing the building and land from the diocese and has embarked on an aggressive campaign to retain and attract students.

"Any kid in Burlington County should look at this because there's opportunity here," Valore said.

Valore, 73, lives in Moorestown. He noted that Holy Cross, which is in Delran, is 3.5 miles from his home.

Valore said he was planning to assist Tony Devlin at Paul VI next season when the opportunity arose to take over the Holy Cross program. Valore said he will be assisted at Holy Cross by Marcus Bullock, one of his former star players at Cherry Hill East. Bullock, a 2000 East graduate, played at New Hampshire.