Whoever said ‘you can’t go home again’ clearly doesn’t know Christian Helm.
A native of Nutley, NJ, Helm may have left for a while, to pursue a professional career as an educator and coach, but the Maroon and Gray never left the man’s bloodstream.
A 2001 graduate of Nutley High, where he excelled on the football and wrestling teams for the Raiders, Helm returned for his second stint as an assistant football coach at NHS in 2021. And now, two years later, he’s been promoted to head coach.
Helm is the 23rd head coach in Nutley’s long and storied history on the gridiron. He served as an assistant to head coach J.D. Vick in 2021, and again last season.
Helm had also begun his coaching career under the influence of the late Steve DiGregorio, who was head coach at Nutley from 2004-2011 and again, from 2017-2020. Chris joined Steve’s staff in 2005 and stayed for seven seasons.
When DiGregorio stepped down as head coach following the 2011 season, Helm went on to be an assistant coach at Wayne Valley, from 2012-2020. He helped that program to some very successful seasons, including a state sectional and bowl game championship as the team’s offensive coordinator, in 2019.
Even though he was coaching and teaching in Wayne, Helm and DiGregorio were very close friends.
“I am very excited to take over this program,” said Helm. “In my last conversation with Steve, he told me I was going to be the best head coach, and that he and my father (the late Christian Helm) would be looking after me.”
Helm’s dad passed away on June 7, 2021 and DiGregorio lost a valiant battle with cancer, a little over four months later.
“It meant a lot and to see this opportunity happening, and has given me great hope,” said Helm. There is no place like home, and there is no place like Nutley.”
Helm has aspired to be a head football coach.
“I’ve worked my entire coaching career for a head coaching opportunity,” he said. “The fact that it’s here in Nutley, where I grew up, where I have so many great memories, on and off the field, is like a dream come true.”
Helm’s path to Nutley was similar to DiGregorio’s ascent to head coach. Both played football at Nutley and later returned as head coach. It took DiGregorio 25 years to become head coach at his alma mater, after graduation, while Helm waited a little over two decades.
While the 2022 season has just concluded, the work for next season is already underway.
“Our kids have already bought into the new weight room program, and the way that we are doing things,” Helm said. “A lot of that started with Coach (Joe) Piro, taking over as interim (in 2022). We have a great plan for this football program, and we are going to do our best to help this program become elite.”
And while the future is Helm’s main priority, he can’t help but hope that ‘Coach D’ is proud of his protoge.
“I hope so,” Helm said, when asked if DiGregorio is beaming with pride. “Working under Steve for as long as I did, then under (Wayne Valley head coach) Roger (Kotlarz) in helping build the Wayne Valley program into a state champion, I couldn’t be luckier for the path that has led me here. I’m forever grateful.”
Helm and his wife, the former Kelly Rauco, are the parents of two young daughters. Kelly Helm was also a star athlete at Nutley High, and was graduated in 2006. Chris’ mom, the former Maria Federico, resides in Nutley.
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