Emily Wood
Sports Editor
With spring always comes change, and the Rams are experiencing their fair share of it. Due to coaches being offered different opportunities, Athletic Director Jay Egan has been left with the challenge to fill coaching positions in multiple sports.
Several sports, including boys’ soccer and boys’ cross country are still in need of coaches for next fall season.
The committee also looks for coaches to have a teaching background. “We definitely look for professionally trained educators, teachers are always the most desirable person for me,” Mr. Egan said. “By having an educator I believe it gives teams the best opportunity to learn. If we do not have a teacher interested, we really look to find someone who has a teaching or learning styled background and college degree.”
This past season, new boys’ basketball coach, Mike Evans, proved successful as he made major improvements in turning around the program and lead the Rams to a 6-12 season. Along with Evans, new boys’ indoor track and field coach, Bill Martin, brought home gold with the 4×800 relay, which placed first in the FCIAC meet.
New to the NCHS athletic community is alumni Chip Buzzeo. Graduating NCHS in 1996 as captain of the lacrosse team, Buzzeo has returned as the new boys’ lacrosse coach and has much to offer to the lacrosse program. “I wanted to give back to the program,” he said. “The New Canaan lacrosse program did so much for me and changed my life.”
However, Mr. Egan is still looking to fill more positions and looks at the situation positively. “It is really exciting to be able to hire new coaches,” he said. “We get to put together a committee and ask a bunch of questions when a new positions opens. I really look at it as an opportunity to improve our coaching staff and bring new people into the community.”
Coach Buzzeo’s goals for his team include not only winning games, but also becoming better student-athletes. “Off the field, we have new high academic standards for all players,” he said. “Our goals include becoming better players on the field and better students in the classroom,” he said.
With coaching positions still open in sports like boys’ cross country and soccer, Mr. Egan has begun the process in looking for new hires. “We begin the process by advertising for the position statewide,” he said. “Sports like soccer and lacrosse have websites that we can advertise the openings on, but other sports like track and cross country do not. After that, we screen all the resumes that come in and put together a committee.”
Another spring sport that will be under new leadership this season is girls’ golf. Physical education teacher, Priscilla Schulz has taken the position as head coach. “Ms. Schulz is stepping in as our new coach alongside our JV coach Mary Montanis,” senior captain Ember Parker said. “Speaking for the team, I would say we’re excited for this year, we know there’s going to be a different dynamic but we’re looking forward to an interesting and fun season,” she said.
This hiring committee is made up of people who know the sport. Whether they are a parent of a former player on the team or a previous head coach, the committee is responsible for interviewing potential coaches and always looks for certain qualifications in each applicant. “I always look for people who are honest and sincere,” Mr. Egan said. “I believe those general qualities are good to have in any kind of person.”
With positions still open for next year’s fall season, Mr. Egan and the hiring committee will continue their search. “We just recently hired a new girls’ golf coach and we are looking to fill boys’ cross country and soccer,” Mr. Egan said. “Cross country will most likely be a member within the staff who has experience coaching the sport. As for soccer, the application process closes in April and we will start looking at resumes then.”
