For 22 years, Jeff Falzarano was the head coach of the Bernards baseball team, and after his retirement following the 2025 season, the program will have a fresh look. BHS alum Phil Mahlik is set to take over as the top man eight years after he played for Coach Falzarano.
Mahlik is Bernardsville through and through. He was raised in the town, attended Bernards High School, and has had a major impact on the community. Throughout his youth, Phil Mahlik was repeatedly a counselor at the youth baseball camps Coach Falzarano put on each summer.
Back in his days as a student, Mahlik was a part of the 2015 squad that delivered the schools most recent sectional championship, finished top-15 in career hits in program history, top 10 in career batting average, and had the second lowest amount of cumulative strikeouts with just 10 over 157 high school at bats.
After graduating from BHS, Mahlik headed to Kean University, a Division-III baseball powerhouse, where he found much success. In three seasons, he accumulated a career .392 batting average with a high of .420 in his junior year. Additionally, at the end of his senior season, Phil was named to the ABCA Region IV and D3 Baseball Region IV second teams.
Mr. Mahlik said he hopes to instill a mindset that “Focuses on our core values which are: tough, disciplined, and focused.”
Following his graduation from Kean, Mr. Mahlik returned to Bernardsville to teach gym, and coach the Bernardsville Middle School baseball and basketball teams. In three seasons coaching at BMS, the baseball team experienced a lot of success and the basketball team recently won a championship. Through these experiences, Mahlik was able to further his ties to the town that built him.
Mr. Hoppe, the athletic director at Bernards High School, who also went from student-athlete to coach said “When I hired coach Mahlik to the phys ed teacher at the middle school, I had always envisioned him being the head baseball coach.” was a major reason Phil Mahlik was hired.
Mr. Mahlik’s age was also a point of emphasis, as he is just 25 years of age. Mr. Hoppe also said “We kept thinking Phil’s kind of young, and the candidates were super strong, but then I remembered that I was Phil’s age when I took over.”
When Coach Falzarano announced his retirement and the candidates for the job opening were announced, there was an astounding amount of support from the families of Bernardsville to hire Mr. Mahlik, a testament to his reputation.
Since being hired, Mahlik has instituted clinics on weekend mornings for youth baseball players in town to develop their skills. Talking to Coach Mahlik, he said that these programs are going to “Promote Bernards baseball and show each young player what we are about as a program” and he said the biggest part of these clinics is “Our high school athletes being present and providing a positive experience.”
Along with Coach Mahlik comes a revamped coaching staff that includes varsity assistant Vince Mele, freshman/outfield coach Vincent Putignano, and pitching coach Andy Yawger.
Last year’s team made a surprise run to the sectional final where they lost to Mendham. The pitchers on that team were strong, especially team ERA leader James Ferrante ‘27, and Casey Hoeckle ‘26. Those players are expected to lead the team in a highly anticipated 2026 season
Phil Mahlik made a positive impact on Bernardsville early in his life, and now he has another chance to grow his legacy.
