Bergenfield head football coach Robert Violante has left an entire community in grief after his unexpected demise.
He was tragically killed in a car accident on Wednesday, Bergenfield Superintendent Dr. Christopher M. Tully said in a letter on Thursday morning.
Violante, head football coach at New Jersey’s Bergenfield High School, was killed in a horrific accident on the Taconic State Parkway in New York.
Bergenfield’s superintendent and mayor confirmed that Violante was one of the four people who died in the fiery collision on Wednesday.
Violante coached football and track at the high school. He was headed home from school at the time of the crash.
Absolutely devastated to learn about the passing of Rob Violante this morning.
— Kevin Devaney Jr. (@KDJmedia1) May 15, 2025
Rob was a star QB and basketball player at Somers when I was in HS. Always heard the name and knew he was the son of legendary football coach Skip Violante at Dobbs Ferry. And he, and his brothers… pic.twitter.com/QhIT9y4NfA
He was known affectionately to many as ‘Coach V.’
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“His unexpected loss is deeply felt across our entire school community, and we know that Bergenfield High School and our town will never be the same without him,” Schools Superintendent Christopher Tully wrote in a letter to students, parents, and staff.
Tully wrote that Violante had been “a mentor, a father figure, and true friend’ during his 15 years at both Bergenfield High and Jefferson Elementary.
Bergenfield Head Football Coach Robert Violante Was A Star Athlete Before Coaching
Four people, including a beloved high school football coach from New Jersey, were killed in a fiery crash on the Taconic State Parkway.
The driver of the car, identified as Bergenfield High School Football Coach Robert Violante, was killed in the accident when a van traveling southbound crossed the center median and entered the northbound lanes, hitting his car.
Before he became known as a coach, Violante was a star quarterback and basketball player at Somers High School, attending the northern Westchester school from 1994 to 1998.
It was just last year when Somers High School honored him for scoring over 1,000 points during his four years of basketball play.
Also Read: High School Superstar Athlete Tragically Killed At Just 18 Years Old, Serious Charges Laid
