For Coach James “Diamond Jim” Muldowney ‘73, 24 was more than his jersey number. It was the number of baseball championships he brought home to Edison High School, the day he got married, and the way he lived–every hour of the day, all in. 

Muldowney passed away last year on May 21, 2024. His wake and funeral were held on May 24, drawing a crowd of former players, colleagues, students, and community members. It was there, inside the church, that a gesture as bright as his legacy commemorated his life.

On September 20, 2024, Edison High School retired his jersey number 24 across all sports, a first in school history. The number was later retired for the North Brunswick Baseball and Softball Association on May 3, 2025. That morning, Muldowney’s daughter, EHS Head Softball Coach Ms. Marylynn Muldowney, won a softball game. And at the time, Middlesex’s softball team, the Lady Colts, was at their 24th win of the season.

“Coach Mohr and I were talking at the church after the wake about what we could do to honor his legacy,” said current EHS Athletic Director Mr. David Sandaal ‘90 about the number’s retirement. “His 24 had already been retired in baseball, and we both came up with, ‘What if we take it out of circulation for every team?’”

More than just a number, 24 sparkles as a symbol of Muldowney’s unwavering devotion to his family, to his teams, and to a standard as rare and unbreakable as a diamond. 

This spring, Muldowney’s legacy was honored with the first-ever “24 Award,” presented during Varsity Awards Night on June 6, 2025. Named after his iconic jersey number, the award recognizes an athlete who embodies sportsmanship and integrity. This year’s inaugural recipient, Isabella Charles ‘25, plays soccer and will continue her athletic career at The College of New Jersey.

“I felt like I was able to experience the support, love, and respect that I am sure Mr. Muldowney had for athletes through his daughter, Ms. Muldowney, who was one of my soccer coaches,” said Charles. “I am honored to be a part of continuing his legacy.” 

“This award pushes me to continue to work hard,” she added, “for not only my teammates, family, and coaches but also for the people who paved the way for all athletes before me.” 

Muldowney began his career as an Eagle himself. Graduating in 1973, he spent four years at Wagner College as a starter and team captain of the baseball team. Following college, he coached baseball at Middlesex College from 1978. In 1988, he returned to Edison to teach health and physical education and coach the EHS baseball, football, and basketball teams. He also served as an assistant baseball coach at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Throughout his coaching career, Muldowney’s team won 20 games for 11 consecutive seasons while capturing ten Conference Championships, seven GMC and County Championships, five State Sectional Championships, and two State Group IV Championships. In 1993, his baseball team ranked number four in the US and number one in New Jersey.

“Diamond Jim” had a knack for turning raw potential into polished champions. When Muldowney arrived in the late eighties, he took EHS athletics from its infancy in the sixties and seventies to the next level. After the 1992 season left EHS with just two varsity starters, Muldowney led the team to an unprecedented sweep of division, county, and state titles–the first in Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) history to do so.

“He was firm yet fair, he was definitely old school in his demeanor,” said Sandaal. “He expected nothing less than excellence, and he pushed you to be the best that you can be.” 

Muldowney’s steadfast passion and Eagle pride were unparalleled. 

“He just bled the red and the gold,” remarked current EHS Principal Mr. Charles Ross, “and when I came here, he was one of the people who showed me just how great this town could be.”

Even after retiring from EHS in 2018, Muldowney wasn’t finished. He took over the once dormant Middlesex College Lady Colts softball program, rebuilding it from scratch. Before his passing, the Cinderella team was ranked at a career high of eighth place in the country, even qualifying for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Softball World Series. 

“He made average players good players, good players great players, and great players outstanding players,” said Mr. Brian Appelman ‘93, a current third-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School and previous EHS baseball coach. “He got the most out of every player that stepped on that field.”

Mr. Vincent Abene, current EHS Baseball Coach and a player on the 1993 team, called him a no-nonsense, demanding coach focusing on the details that would give his teams a competitive advantage, and that “Mr. Muldowney took Edison High School Baseball to another level.”

“I used to watch practices all the time, and he was just—almost like he had a glow to him,” added Appelman. “He was immortal. He was someone who was just so special and you wanted to play for, you wanted to win for.”

Coach Muldowney didn’t just build winning teams; he built a coaching legacy that continues to branch out through Edison High and beyond. Known for his meticulous preparation and unwavering standards, Muldowney turned competitors into leaders and players into lifelong learners. 

“For coaching, the field is an extension of the classroom,” said Mr. Michael Korneski ‘92, now a U.S. History teacher and former Assistant Baseball Coach at EHS. “And if you love your subject, whether it’s history or baseball, that’s going to show through—and the kids are going to see that.”

Korneski played under Muldowney on the storied 1992 team, one of the best to ever take the field for Edison, next to the 1993 team. He recalled a coach who never left anything to chance.

“He was never one for winging it, and that was a lesson for me,” Korneski said. “If you want to get somewhere, you have to have a plan. And you have to have some conviction. He always understood what good baseball looks like.”

That preparation left a lasting impression—not just on Korneski, but on an entire generation of baseball players.

“I look at all the guys who played for him—from the late ‘80s to late ’90s—and there had to be at least ten who went into coaching,” he added. “And I’d say every one of them would tell you Coach Muldowney influenced them.”

Muldowney’s foundational blueprint for coaching, particularly his precision, passion, and presence, continues to shape programs across the state. “His success on the field will be hard for anyone to replicate,” said current EHS Football Coach Matt Yascko. “But the way he ran his programs, his attention to detail and his team’s discipline and focus are things I know everyone should strive to copy.”

His coaching legacy lives on in his family, too. His daughter, Ms. Marylynn Muldowney, now teaches at Washington Elementary and coaches softball and soccer at EHS.

“Just like her father, she holds her athletes to high standards, but also supports them every step of the way,” said Ms. Ann Muldowney, a current paraprofessional at FDR Preschool and wife of Muldowney. “She’s firm when she needs to be, but always fair, and she has an incredible ability to connect with her players on a personal level. She’s not just building a team, she’s creating a family, just like Jim did.” 

Even in retirement, Muldowney wasn’t done. After taking a break from coaching to support his kids with their own careers, he took a position coaching at Middlesex College, lending his expertise to both the baseball and softball programs. In 2022, he led a Cinderella squad of eleven players to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III World Series. That same year, the team hosted a hitting camp for high school student-athletes. With over fifty players in attendance, proceeds from the camp went directly to the Edison-based nonprofits The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and the Teamwork Unlimited Foundation, both gems close to Muldowney’s heart. 

“Jim was a stand-up guy, someone that you could always trust and was always there when you needed someone to talk to,” said Matt Mehalick, a previous Lady Colts’ Head Softball Coach. “He set the foundation for the Lady Colts program. All of his years of coaching experience went into making the Lady Colts better year over year.”

“He always looked out for you, and he was one of those guys that loyalty meant everything,” added Sandaal. “If you played for him and you graduated, he would go through walls for you.”

Coach Muldowney’s legacy wasn’t just built on championships or chalkboard strategy. It was built on loyalty, care, and an unshakeable belief in the people around him. Whether it was on or off the diamond, “Diamond Jim” gave everything he had to those he loved.

Together, Jim and Ann raised their children–Joseph, Vincent, Anthony, and Marylynn–on the sidelines, in the bleachers, and along highways to innumerable fields. “We spent countless hours traveling to watch our children play, always supporting their dreams,” recalled Ann Muldowney. “As they grew older, he remained deeply involved and present in their lives. He believed that a loving family is the foundation for a child’s future, and he lived that belief every day.”

Muldowney made his biggest impact not on the field, but at home.

“Not a lot of people know this, but he actually stepped away from coaching because of his family,” said Marylynn Muldowney. “My brother and I were getting older and starting to play sports, and he wanted to be there—to watch us, support us, and be present as we started to carve out our own paths.”

As she traveled on her own path, Marylynn Muldowney didn’t expect to follow in her father’s footsteps. She had always known that she wanted to get into coaching, but didn’t anticipate it happening so quickly. 

“Life has a way of leading you where you’re meant to be—and I couldn’t be happier,” she said. She was able to become a coach in her first year teaching in the district. “At the time, I didn’t fully realize the significance. But now, with him no longer here, I find myself reflecting on it often.” 

Having been coached by her father on travel teams as a kid, and playing as a four-year Division 1 starter at the University of Rhode Island, Marylynn Muldowney brings his same energy and integrity to her athletes.

“Every day I coach, I’m reminded of him—whether it’s through the people he impacted, from coworkers and players to fellow coaches, or simply by passing the baseball field where his jersey proudly hangs,” she said. “I hope—and truly believe—that a lot of the younger athletes will learn about my dad through stories passed down by their parents.”

That ripple effect spans generations.

“It’s no accident that so many of those guys who played for coach stayed in town,” said Korneski, “and their parents drove those same values and love of the game in their kids. You can always see the influence of a coach in the legacy of the players he coached and their kids.”

From the first pitch to every home run that follows, Muldowney’s influence is still rounding the bases.

“Only someone with a truly powerful and positive influence leaves that kind of legacy,” said Ann Muldowney. “One that lives on through generations.”