Joseph Mortarulo, who has made his mark on the soccer landscape at all levels of competition - high school, collegiate, professional and international - enters his fourth season in 2023 on Jim McElderry’s Rutgers men’s soccer staff as a player development coach.

During the fall of 2022, Mortarulo helped the Scarlet Knights make history, capturing the first Big Ten Championship in program history and first conference title since 1997 with a 3-1 win over Indiana. RU secured the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the highest in program history and hosted all three rounds, bringing in record crowds (4,200+ for the title game). The championship win punched Rutgers' ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 for the first trip under head coach Jim McElderry. 

Mortarulo, along with the rest of the Scarlet Knights staff, was also named the United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year, the first staff award in program history. 

During his nine-year professional playing career, Mortarulo played for the New Jersey Imperials (‘92-’94), New York Fever (’95 –’96) alongside Coach McElderry, the Staten Island Vipers (’97 – ’99) and the Puerto Rican National Team (’93 –’96).

Mortarulo started his collegiate playing career “On the Banks” for the Scarlet Knights in 1988 before transferring to Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck. A three-year starter & team captain for the FDU Knights, he earned Mid-Atlantic All-American stature in 1992.

Returning to his high school alma mater, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, as an assistant coach in 1994, Mortarulo has helped guide the men’s soccer program to be one of the top public high school teams in the nation year in and year out. During his 25-year coaching tenure, he has lead his teams to five state titles, 10 county championships, 16 sectional titles and 20 conference titles. Mortarulo was the NSCAA Northeast Assistant Coach of the Year, as well as a NSCAA National Assistant Coach of the Year finalist in 2009.

Mortarulo currently holds a USSF “A” license. He lives in Scotch Plains with his wife Jennifer and three children: Daniel, Mia and Lyla.