Welcome to the ACE Alumni Spotlight, where we highlight our alumni and share their stories.
TJ Kroncke is an experienced athletics coach who was recently named the head coach of Caldwell University’s first women’s flag football team. He graduated from American College of Education (ACE) with an M.Ed. in Health and Wellness Education in 2021, adding a second master’s degree to his resume. His career is marked by mentoring and leading students to reach their athletic and academic goals.
We were thrilled to hear about his latest venture into women’s flag football, one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
ACE: You were recently named the head coach of Caldwell University’s first women’s flag football team, the sixth NCAA program of its kind in New Jersey. Tell us about your career leading up to this role.
TJ Kroncke (TJK): I have been coaching since 2006 where I started coaching youth programs in Hasbrouck Heights, which is where I grew up, and then I moved into high school athletics. I worked in various positions at several schools until I became a head football coach at Palisades Park/Leonia High School. Throughout this time, I was a head wrestling coach as well.
I recently retired from high school wrestling with 149 coaching wins! I became a flag football assistant coach at Lyndhurst High School, where I also taught for 20 years. Then I became the head flag football coach. For the past two years, I served as an assistant sprint football coach at Caldwell University and am now the head women’s flag football coach.
ACE: What made choosing ACE a smart decision to earn your M.Ed. in Health and Wellness Education from ACE in 2021 in addition to a master’s degree you earned in 2010?
TJK: I had heard great things about the program and really wanted to better myself as an educator. I wanted to learn more in depth about wellness, not just the athletic side of teaching. My first master’s degree was in educational administration, so I really wanted to narrow my focus.
ACE: Coaching at any level often demands a lot of time. How did choosing ACE allow you to balance your career while furthering your education?
TJK: ACE gave me the flexibility to be able to teach and coach while participating in the program. The five-week set up was great, as I would have the week off between courses to get other things done and prepare for the next class. Having this kind of flexibility, where I could manage at my own pace, was the main reason I chose ACE.
ACE: With health and wellness at the core of athletic performance, how has what you learned during your ACE program shown up in your day-to-day responsibilities?
TJK: I use so many skills that I learned in the program, but I would say the main thing is my own personal wellness. One of the aspects of the program was personal mental health and wellness. The program made me zoom in on myself, and this is something that I still focus on. I always try to make time for myself even with the hectic nature of coaching and teaching.
ACE: What advice would you give to an aspiring coach?
TJK: Believe in yourself and never sell yourself short. I started off as a youth coach, and now, I am the head coach of a division II college program. If you want a position, work your tail off until you get it!
Being an American College of Education alumni has its perks. When you return as an alum for another program, you receive discounted tuition with the Alumni Continuing Education Grant. That’s Smarter Ed.
