Damian Kennedy - Director

I have dedicated the last 40 years to playing and coaching basketball. My journey began in my hometown of Union City, where I played varsity basketball for three years at Union Hill High School. From 1992 to 1996, I played point guard for Caldwell College, on a team that went to two NAIA National tournaments. After earning my degree in History, I became a teacher and high school basketball coach. In 1998, I took on the role of Varsity Head Coach at St. Joseph of the Palisades High School, where I coached until its closure in 2009. During this time, we won three County Championships, and I had the privilege of coaching several Division I, II, and III players.

My next chapter brought me to Bogota High School, where I served as Vice Principal and later as Girl's Varsity Basketball coach for three seasons before stepping down in 2016 when I was appointed Principal of Bogota High School. Since then, I have coached Caldwell travel basketball for grades 4-8 and coached NJ Hoop Stars AAU, coaching boys' high school teams for the last two years.

Chris Checchetto - Head Coach

With over three decades of experience in coaching at various levels and a committed career in education, I am passionate about helping individuals reach their full potential. As a former Division One athlete at Rutgers University, I earned my degree in Sports Management and began my coaching journey as the varsity assistant girls' basketball coach at Mt. St. Dominic. After obtaining my post-baccalaureate teaching certification from Caldwell University, I started my teaching career at Cedar Grove in 2000. There, I served as the freshmen basketball coach for one season before taking over as the varsity girls' coach for the next four seasons, earning Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2002. 

In 2004, I transitioned to head coach of Cedar Grove's baseball team, where I received Conference Coach of the Year accolades and led the team to a conference and state championship. While coaching, I pursued my MA in Education Leadership and, in 2008, accepted the Principal position at Gould School in North Caldwell, where I have served for the past 16 years. My love for coaching continued with roles such as varsity assistant boys' coach at Montville, middle school basketball coach at West Essex, and currently as the varsity assistant baseball coach at West Essex. Additionally, I have coached boys' travel basketball for Caldwell and West Essex, achieving multiple championships.

I am thrilled to join Essex Elite Hoops, where I can blend my passion for teaching and coaching to support our student-athletes in achieving success both on and off the court!