Former Power Five assistant heading to New Jersey football parochial powerhouse

Bobby Acosta will take over a New Jersey parochial program that is loaded with the potential to become a national powerhouse.

On Monday, it was announced that Acosta will be the next head coach at St. John Vianney (Holmdel, New Jersey).

The well-traveled Acosta is best known for his two years as the wide receivers coach at Syracuse, ending in 2015. From there, he was an offensive coordinator at Cornell and Then Bucknell before taking over as head coach at IMG Academy in 2020.

Last year, he was the offensive coordinator at FCS program Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

St. John Vianney has announced that former Marlboro and Monmouth Regional head coach Bobby Acosta has been hired as its head football coach. Acosta was an assistant coach at Arkansas Pine Bluff last season and has had several collegiate stops

— Steven Falk (@smfalk) January 16, 2024

He knows his new turf well. Born in New York City, Acosta played his college football at Rowan University (Glassboro, New Jersey). At his time at Rowan, the program was a Division III powerhouse that regularly made the NCAA Tournament.

At Syracuse, Acosta was known as a strong recruiter who made good local ties.

Last season, St. John Vianney went 3-7.

Located near the Jersey shore, St. John Vianney is well-located to draw talent from the central part of the state as well as the region along the shoreline. If Acosta can attract top talent, something that the former Power Five recruiter knows full well, there is the potential for St. John Vianney to turn things around and become a powerhouse program.