A familiar name will return to the Rowan College South Jersey Men’s Basketball sidelines — and the Roadrunners are confident that new Coach Ron Solomone will help restore a winning tradition that he personally helped to build and maintain here in the early 2000’s.
The veteran Solomone, who has enjoyed decades of success as a player and coach for area collegiate men’s basketball programs and who is the son of legendary GCC/RCSJ Coach Steve Solomone, will return to the RCSJ Men’s Basketball sidelines as the head coach for 2026-27.
Ron Solomone comes home to the RCSJ family having served recently as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Wilmington University for five seasons. But make no mistake, his ties to the Roadrunner program and to South Jersey basketball are strong, personal and deep!
“Life comes full circle – it’s absolutely amazing to come back to my second home!” said Ron, who will be taking on his first head coach’s position following decades of success as a player and assistant coach. “Not a lot of coaches ever have this wonderful opportunity, and I am so thankful!”
After his playing career concluded in 2001 competing for his Dad, NJCAA, GCC/RCSJ, and Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame Coach Steve Solomone, Coach Ron Solomone joined Rick Jackson’s staff at Gloucester CC, where the program compiled an impressive 163-66 overall record in six seasons. His teams qualified for the Region 19 playoffs all six seasons and earned three trips to the NJCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championships. In 2005-06, the Runners reached the NJCAA Division III Championship game and finished as national runner-up.
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“I grew up here in this gym, and I saw how my Dad coached, how my Mom supported him, and how the players were always ready to battle. This is what I want people to remember and exactly the atmosphere I want to return to our sidelines.”
Coach Ron Solomone
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That record of success is what the new coach certainly aspires to, and he understands he will have plenty of support from Roadrunner Athletics in setting up his program.
“Just knowing the legacy of coaches and players we have here within the Rowan College Gloucester County community is enough to convince me to come home,” Ron Solomone reflected. “I’m excited to have the chance to return the program back to a place where it used to be.”
Roadrunner Athletics Director Brian Rowan also is excited to bring Coach Solomone back to South Jersey and is looking forward to a new but familiar era in RCSJ Men’s hoops!
“We’re thrilled to bring in Ron Solomone to lead our Roadrunner program!,” said Rowan. “He brings passion for this program, enthusiasm and experience to this important role. He has the full support of Roadrunnner Athletics — we trust him to lead one of our most high-profile programs back to national prominence. We know that Ron will run the program his way, but we also love the family legacy of the Solomone’s here in Roadrunner Athletics. I would be remiss not to mention that I played for his Dad, Coach Steve Solomone during my time as a student at GCC/RCSJ — and I feel great about the tradition Ron brings back to the program. This is an exciting time for Roadrunner Men’s Basketball!”
Rowan also added that Coach Solomone is currently forming a talented staff, which will be announced in the near future, to help him launch this new era of success.
Coach Solomone’s Family Legacy
Ron Solomone is the son of the late Coach Steve Solomone, who was the architect of a sparkling 301-48 career record from 1991 to 2001 when the Roadrunners dominated NJCAA competition. His 1993-1994 team fashioned a perfect 30-0 record, the only men’s collegiate team in the nation to finish unbeaten that season, as they rolled to the NJCAA Division III national crown.
Coach Steve Solomone’s teams of the 1990s, which at one time captured 47 consecutive wins over two seasons, were simply unstoppable. Gloucester County College (now RCSJ) won six NJCAA Region 19 championships and finished second nationally in 1996 with a 31-4 record, and third in 1997 with a 32-3 mark. Solomone coached eight All-Americans during his tenure, including former star Marvin Stinson, who led the Roadrunners during their national championship run in the spring of 1994.
Together with his wife Grace Solomone always at his side supporting his teams, the Runners went on to dominate regional and national basketball competition.
Ron Solomone salutes his Dad’s legacy as he begins his tenure as the Roadrunners’ new men’s coach.
“I grew up here in this gym, and I saw how my Dad coached, how my Mom supported him, and how the players were always ready to battle,” said Ron Solomone. “This is what I want people to remember and exactly the atmosphere I want to return to our sidelines.”
Ron Solomone’s Basketball Experience
Once his playing career ended, Coach Ron Solomone dug in and expanded his basketball career all over the Mid-Atlantic region.
Aside from his time spent in the RCSJ and Wilmington University programs, Coach Solomone developed a solid background in recruiting top talent from around the Tri-State area.
Prior to Wilmington University, coach Solomone worked as an assistant coach at Camden County College for Head Coach Lou Abbattista. From 2016-2020, the overall record was 69-49, with every team making the Region 19 playoffs. Before that, he was a member of Head Coach Jim Rullo’s first staff at NCAA DIII Neumann University, where he served as assistant coach. In two years, Neumann’s teams went on to accumulate a 37-21 overall record, including a CSAC league championship and berth in the 2014-15 NCAA DIII Tournament.
He also served at the NCAA II level at both University of Bridgeport (CT) and Wilmington University as an assistant coach, elevating his contacts around the region in recruiting top-level talent.
Coach Solomone graduated from Rowan University with his undergrad degree in General Studies, then went on to graduate from Wilmington University with his Master’s in Sports Management.
https://www.rcroadrunners.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/releases/20260330uj7ggy
