Central’s Sexton Joins Exclusive Company: Multisport Varsity Coaches Pour Heart and Soul into Programs | Sports

When John Sexton took the job as head football coach at Central Catholic this week, he joined a dwindling fraternity in the field of sports – the head coach at the multisport varsity.

As Methuen High School’s chief of swimming and softball, Jason Smith, says, “We’re like dinosaurs slowly dying out.”

The reasons are innumerable, but it is certainly a growing fact. The multisport trainer is a dying breed.

The responsibility has grown. These days, college trainers aren’t just trainers. The good guys take on the more apt title of “program manager,” handling all facets of the job.

“Coaching, and soccer coaching in particular, has become a full-time job, 12 months a year,” said Timberlane soccer coach Kevin Fitzgerald. “There’s always something going on.”

“Fitz” was a longtime baseball coach with the Owls – 27 years worth. He spent most of his time as an assistant at the university. Most recently he was co-varsity head coach with Alex Horgan. But he was more than happy to slip back into the more familiar assist role in the spring.

“It’s tough. So many sports become year-round,” Fitzgerald said. “We encourage our guys to do multiple sports. We have a lot of crossovers…I feel good about being able to coach a few sports.”

Our region is blessed with a rich heritage of great multisport head coaches.

Methuen’s Larry Klimas and Andover’s Dick Collins were legends in football and athletics for decades. Pinkerton Academy’s Brian O’Reilly could be considered the undisputed greatness at Granite State, not just in football but in lacrosse as well.

Today, however, the numbers have dropped significantly.

Some amazing multi-sport players who remain are Andover’s EJ Perry (football, volleyball) and Whittier Tech’s Kevin Bradley (football, basketball, lacrosse). Alan Hibino of Andover is a rare dual-sport state champion with two tennis titles in 2014-15 and a hoop banner in 2020. Jeff Baummann directs the girls’ soccer and boys’ basketball programs at Timberlane, while Matt Twomey of Methuen coaches boys’ and girls’ Volleyball.

And track and field athletes from the area have been fortunate to be able to compete for perennial coaches like Andover’s Peter Comeau, Central’s Mike Leal, Haverhill’s Mike Maguire and both Steve Nugent and Rick Dellechiaie at North Andover.

Sure there are others, but those who stay can share some advice with a manager like Centrals Sexton.

Get ready to stay busy.

“It’s hard for the family. To me, my wife jokes like she’s a single mom in the spring. I am blessed to have her and my family so supportive,” said Methuens Smith. “As soon as softball ends, I start preparing again for the next season in the fall. I’m proud of the work that’s been done with both programs I’m involved with, but it’s definitely difficult to give them what they deserve.”

EJ Perry agreed.

“But the woman has it the worst. My wife Kathleen was a saint, but she heard the giggles in the stands and understood why we never went on summer vacation,” Perry said. “Those long nights can be a failure for a woman who doesn’t understand that losing a point in the Christmas tournament will ruin even the most festive New Year’s Eve party.”

WHY DO YOU DO IT?Multisport varsity coaches are certainly a driven breed.

Bradley, who found so much success in the three sports at Whittier while holding a full-time job as Tech’s athletic director, seems born and raised for it.

“Why do you love it? I grew up with sports all the time. So the year flies by. You’re always doing something, rejuvenating,” Bradley said. “I’ve been doing this since I was 7 or 8 years old.

“I love being in the gym and on the field. It’s something I’ve always loved to do since I was a kid. I’m still a kid and just earning my living now.”

The successful trainers know exactly where they benefit in every sport.

“Volleyball has taught me so much about the mental aspect of all sports,” Perry said. “Football teaches me to plan and the physicality of sports and basketball combines both – the mental thought process with fast movements and physical contact.”

DOWNTIME TO PREMIUMIt’s no coincidence that a coach like Hibino, who put in the time and exhausted coaching sources like Warriors Boys Hoop (and Golf) Coach David Fazio and Boys Tennis Coach Mike Wartman, found success.

“The best part, basketball and tennis are like two different sports. They’re trying to find ways to work with the teams and they’re preparing the teams to be successful in two different ways,” Hibino said.

“I can’t call a timeout in a tennis match, game planning has to be done before the match, I enjoy the challenge of understanding both sports.”

How dedicated are these coaches?

I think back to last June when the girls state tennis finals were played at MIT. Andover had been eliminated in an earlier round, but the first familiar face to appear in the crowd on this warm summer’s day was Hibino – scouting, observing, preparing for a possible opponent for the upcoming spring season.

“My wife might find it difficult. If we have a successful basketball season, we’ll run straight into the spring tryouts. Last year we played the state basketball finals on Sunday and on Monday we had the first day of tennis tryouts,” Hibino said.

“The days are not long if you enjoy doing it. I like working with more groups of kids, kids I teach in math class, kids I coach in basketball and another group in tennis.”

Sexton is about to enter this new world at Central Catholic. Sure, he was offensive coordinator in football for 13 years, but when the name is at the top of the bill, that’s different. However, he knows he is ready.

“The two sports, that’s a good thing. I do not have any hobbies. I like golf, but I don’t have many interests outside of it,” Sexton said. “I fell in love with coaching because it was a way to measure yourself. and the next thing that happens is you fall in love with the kids. I like training and working with the kids more than anything in the world.”