East Rutherford, NJ – The New York Giants and Gatorade have selected Mr. James Magazine of Paterson Eastside High School (Paterson, NJ) as the Lou Rettino High School Coach of the Week for Week 6 of the 2020 season. Coach James Magazine is in his 2nd season as Head Coach of the Paterson Eastside Ghosts and just defeated Passaic County Tech 14-2. The Ghosts are off to a 4-1 start to the season, their best since 1993.

The Lou Rettino High School Football Coach of the Week Award is part of the Giants' continuing effort to support local youth football programs. The Giants elected to name the award in memory of former Union High School (NJ) coach, Lou Rettino, for his fine commitment to the game of football, his community and the betterment of his athletes' lives. Each week during the high school football season, the Giants selected one area high school head coach as the Coach of the Week winner. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment towards promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes and his overall community involvement.   

In recognition of Coach Magazine's selection as Coach of the Week, a $2,000 check will be granted to the school's football program from The Giants Foundation and Gatorade. He will also receive a certificate of recognition signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Giants head coach Joe Judge.

A Paterson native and former Eastside quarterback, Coach James Magazine was named head coach of the Ghosts last season after serving on the staff in different roles since 2012. In his first season as head coach, the Ghosts went 5-4 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2007, but the team was suspended from the NJSIAA Football Tournament due to an in-game altercation between players of Paterson Eastside High School and Dwight Morrow High School of Englewood. While the opportunity to play football was taken away, the incident allowed for Coach Magazine and Principal and Athletic Director Dr. Gerald Glisson to invite players and staff members from Dwight Morrow to the newly created "Peace Center" at Eastside High School. The center was founded by Dr. Glisson to facilitate conflict resolution among young people through restorative justice practices instead of physical violence. The attendees from both teams discussed the incident while seated in a circle, and made amends before ending the meeting by embracing each other.

Mr. David Cozart, Jr., Assistant Superintendent stated, "Coach Magazine has proven to be the right man for the job. His passion for football is second to his responsibility to produce men of character."

"Tough times don't last, tough people do" is the mantra that Magazine repeats to his players as he continues to use football to teach them how to persevere through adversity. Unfortunately, the team was dealt another blow this season when Dr. Gerald Glisson, passed away from COVID-19 in May at the age of 46. This team is honoring the legacy of their beloved principal and athletic director the best way they know how, by dedicating their season to him. At 4-1, they are off to their best start in 27 years and are looking to their big-play threat offense to push them to new heights.