Rapczynski the pick

Wilmington University men’s assistant tabbed as the new women’s basketball coach at Salem CC

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT — Wilmington University men’s basketball assistant J.J. Rapczynski will be the new Salem Community College women’s basketball coach, pending approval by the board at its meeting later this month.

Rapczynski, a former Ursinus College guard, just completed his third season with the WilmU men/s team. He also coached at West Chester and Widener, and was an assistant women’s coach at Neumann.

“I’ve known who he is for a long time,” Salem athletics director Bob Hughes said. “He comes from a long line of basketball people.”

The Mighty Oaks received 90 applications for the position. Rapczynski was among five finalists who included a longtime South Jersey high school head coach, two women’s assistant coaches from within Region XIX and a former Division I women’s player just starting her coaching career.

“He clearly had an understanding of recruiting in-state (and) knowledge of the region,” Hughes said. “He really seemed to the best fit … the one who the committee felt would work well here.”

Rapczynski succeeds Brian Marsh, who stepped aside after a tumultuous 2025-26 season cut short with three games left when the arrest of four players left by the team without enough players to field a competitive team. Marsh coached the program through the first three seasons of its revival. He was 23-43 with a high-water mark of 11 wins last season.