High school football coach, assistant, among dead in fiery Newark wreck

A beloved high school football coach and assistant coach were among those killed in a fiery car wreck that took the lives of six people in Newark, officials said Monday.

Lamar McKnight, 32, the head football coach at Hudson Catholic Regional High School, was killed along with assistant coach Brad Cunningham, 41, the school confirmed Sunday evening. Lamar McKnight’s brother Darryl McKnight was also killed, the men’s mother told CBS News.

“The Hudson Catholic community is devastated by the tragic loss of two beloved coaches,” principal Terence Matthews said in a statement. “They were dedicated educators and mentors who made a lasting impact on players, students and colleagues. Their warmth, commitment and passion for the Hudson Catholic community will never be forgotten. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families and friends, and to the families of the other victims of this tragedy.”

Monday’s classes were canceled, and staff and counselors would be available on campus from 12-4 p.m., Matthews said.

Tributes poured in all weekend as the victims’ identities became known. The football programs at DePaul Catholic High School, Brick Township High School, and Cedar Creek High School extended condolences at the death of McKnight, known as a role model. Among those who lauded Cunningham was Rutgers University head football coach Greg Schiano.

“Brad Cunningham, member of our first recruiting class, laid the foundation of the Rutgers football program,” Schiano said on X.

Darryl McKnight was a counselor who had recently begun working for the state, the men’s mother, Natasha McKnight, told CBS News.

Lamar McKnight had been a star football player in college before becoming a coach and had been with Hudson Catholic for the past year after a stint at Union. Natasha McKnight said two others in the car were also relatives, but declined to give details.

State Sen. Angela McKnight, who is married to the McKnights’ cousin, mourned a “terrible loss to our family — to the community — and to the other individuals who passed away as well,” according to CBS News.

“Please say a prayer for my family,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Darryl and Lamar, may you rest in peace. This hurts….”

The crash occurred at about 10:45 p.m. Friday, when the vehicle they were in flew off an overpass, slammed into a Pulaski Skyway support column and burst into flame. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office did not comment but was planning a briefing at 3 p.m.