Bio

Rose Battaglia – Bergen Community College Women's Basketball Coach - 1972-1984

Dr. Rose Marie Battaglia was the first women’s basketball coach at Bergen Community College.  Dr. Battaglia was undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in Bergen County and at Bergen Community College.  She was a legendary trailblazer and advocate for all girls and women in sport.

Dr. Battaglia was the recipient of numerous awards throughout her coaching career, most notably earning entry into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.  She also led Bergen CC to four NJCAA Final Four appearances, four Region XIX titles, 10 Garden State Athletic Conference titles and posted a 256-55 win-loss record during her time at Bergen.  A three-time Garden State Athletic Conference and New Jersey Community College Coach of the Year, Battaglia also earned two Region XIX Coach of the Year awards.  Dr. Battaglia also taught health and physical education during her 12 years at Bergen CC and was named Professor Emeritus in 1992.

Concurrent with her 12 years as Bergen's women's basketball coach Rose Battaglia also coached girls basketball at Paramus Catholic High School, which is located directly across the street from Bergen's main campus.  At Paramus Catholic Battaglia and star center and future Basketball Hall of Fame inductee the late Anne Donovan won back-to-back state championships in the 1970's.  For her efforts Coach Battaglia became an inaugural member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame class.

During Rose Battaglia's 38-year coaching career, which also included stops at Iona College, St. Michael's in Union City and Benedict Academy in Elizabeth, she compiled a lifetime .745 winning percentage featuring 702 college wins and 274 high school victories before retiring in 1989.  She was inducted into the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1999 and is also a member of Bergen CC's institutional Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Jostens-Berenson Lifetime Achievement Award.  The NJCAA DIII Women's Basketball Championship Sportsmanship Award is also named in her honor.

Dr. Rose Marie Battaglia earned her B.S. from Panzer College, an M.A. from Montclair State College and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah.