Tom Conley has been the athletic director at BC High for 2 months, however he nonetheless has to pinch himself infrequently to verify it’s not a dream.
“It’s still pretty surreal, it probably didn’t hit me until a few weeks ago,” Conley stated with fun. “When I used to be right here as a pupil and athlete, being the athletic director at BC High by no means crossed my thoughts. Even now a few of my pals will ask me in the event that they actually gave me the keys to this place.
“I feel really fortunate to be in a place that means a lot to me. To get the chance to come back here and become the athletic director is awesome.”
A two-sport standout at BC High, Conley graduated from the college in 2008 and went on to play school baseball at UMass, the place he was a four-year starter as a catcher. He obtained the teaching bug and jumped into it immediately when he was named head coach of the Pittsfield Suns within the Futures League shortly after graduating from school.
He figured that was going to be his profession route as he superior to varsity teaching baseball at Bryant (2013), Trinity (2014-2016), Harvard (2017-2018) and Rutgers (2019). While at Rutgers, he positioned a name to the one that would assist form his future in additional methods than one.
“While I was a volunteer assistant at Rutgers, I was engaged at the time and sleeping on my sister’s couch in New Jersey,” Conley stated. “I known as (BC High athletic director) Jon Bartlett and we had a dialog about loads of issues. I had a masters in historical past and I used to be eager about educating, then I obtained a name from Jon three days later saying the assistant AD job at BC High was open.
“To have the ability to come again and work beneath Jon for 3 years was an awesome expertise. He was simply so constant, he’s like a machine. Even once I was a pupil right here, I knew each day that the college can be getting their absolute best from Jon. It’s like he felt he owed it to the college and the youngsters and I had an opportunity to see that first hand each day the final three years, Nothing obtained previous him.
“I owe so much to Jon. There’s no question that I wouldn’t be where I am today with him.”
Bartlett left BC High after 21 years as an athletic director to take over the vacant AD place at St. Sebastian’s. While it was a tricky resolution to go away a spot Bartlett known as house for many years, he knew deep down that the college had the precise alternative proper beneath their noses.
“Being an alum, Tom knows the expectations, the school values and the mission of the school,” Bartlett stated. “It was necessary for the college to have somebody like Tom. He’s obtained the precise temperament for the job, he cares in regards to the coaches.
“We have some similarities, but we are different in other ways, and that’s a good thing. Everyone approaches a job in their own way and I’m sure that Tom will find his own niche and that’s the way it should be.”
Norm Walsh coached baseball at BC High from 1980-2021, profitable 622 video games. Twenty-one of these wins got here in 2008 when Conley was part of a workforce that went on to win the Div. 1 state title. Walsh has little question that Conley will excel in his new function.
“The biggest thing about Tom is that he listens,” Walsh stated. “I think he will be the type of person who will let the coaches coach. He’ll hold them responsible and talk to them if needed, otherwise he’ll leave them alone. I think that comes from (former AD) Jimmy Cotter, who always let the coaches do their thing.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com