Back in the day both Clary Anderson (left) and his longtime right-hand man, Butch Fortunato, who formed "the Braintrust" for Mountie football, each spent a number of years as both Montclair's athletic director and head football coach, an occurrence that is not very common in today's world. (photo courtesy of Fortunato family)

John Porcelli, Montclair's assistant principal in charge of athletics, spent eight years as both the AD and highly-successful head football coach at Morristown, but is not allowed by the current Montclair school administration or Board of Education to perform both jobs in the land of the Mounties where Anderson and Fortunato each performed dual roles during the 1960s, '70s and early '80s. (Sideline Chatter Photo)

St. Peter's Prep's Rich Hansen (above) is one of the noted parochial football school AD-head football coach combination men of today along with Tony Karcich of St. Joe's of Montvale, who has performed both roles for years. (Photo by Doug Allen)

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“I know that at Columbia High School, where I used to coach, they did not allow Bob Curcio to continue as both athletic director and boys lacrosse coach, but they then changed their own rules in later years and Dave Curtin is now both the AD and football coach.

“Can someone do both jobs?...I definitely think so, but you have to be very organized and committed to what has to be done for all the sports, and it helps to have a great support staff as well.”

Porcelli is blessed with a very efficient administrative assistant in Pat Conk at Montclair and he enjoyed working with one of the all-time great athletic secretaries at Morristown in the late Ann Donnelly.

“Pat is a terrific administrative assistant and Ann was just great to work as well,” said Porcelli. “And, they have both been far more than just athletic secretaries!”

Cohen, who is an athletic director who fully understands high school sports’ role in conjunction with working with the local media to better promote his school’s scholastic athletes, has become one of the state’s top AD’s while remaining the long-time, successful ice hockey coach for the Cougars.

He is also blessed with one of the top athletic secretaries in Ginny Leslie. Genova, who has enjoyed having the very competent Patty Sullivan, helping him in working and re-working bus schedules, officials, game rescheduling, etc., also knows that school districts can change in how they look at the AD/coach combo.

“From what I hear, when Harvey retires at Chatham they will not let the next person coach and be the AD there,” said the Livingston AD. “Doing both is definitely not as easy as it might look and I credit guys like Harvey in being able to do both all these years and do them well.”

It should be interesting to follow how Olsen, a longtime, successful football coach at Wayne Hills, integrates within his role as the AD at that high school as the new school year ensues, especially starting in September when football is going to be a big part of every day.

“I wish Chris all the luck in the world, but it’s not something that is easy to accomplish in terms of doing both, but you have to really watch how you spend every hour of the day because there are things that have to get done before you get out to the field,” said Porcelli. “Obviously, there aren’t many guys doing both anymore so school districts are definitely becoming more aligned along the same ideas and philosophies regarding an AD coaching.”

While it is now simply a trip down memory lane when it comes to the Lou Rettinos (Union), Howie Andersons (Summit), Butch Fortunatos (Montclair) and John Bauer Sr. and Jr.s (Randolph) of the world involved as Ads and football coaches, another big change is the fact that there is also a trend developing, at least in some school districts, of getting away from “sports people” and instead blending in pure administrative types, such as former assistant principles, or those simply trying to climb up the latter credential-wise for the financial rewards, inheriting athletic overseeing responsibilities they are perhaps not best equipped to handle, at least when it comes to the people skills of best dealing with coaches and student-athletes.

There is a coinciding situation where some new ADs don’t want to deal with the ever-increasing responsibilities in terms of dealing with frequently-demanding parents, or the media, both of which they see as bothersome.

“Unfortunately, (the AD position) can be a dumping ground for other jobs and people without a coaching background can find themselves directing athletic programs, which I don’t think is always a good thing,” said Porcelli. “As far as the contact with parents is concerned, I tell all my coaches when we hire them that they are going to have to be involved.

“I’m very pleased with our new football coach (John Fiore) who has already had four or five meetings with parents. He totally buys into the importance of that aspect as a coach, and athletic directors have to be involved with parents as well, there is no question about that.”

Meanwhile, the days of the Rettinos, Andersons (both Clary and Howie), Fortunatos and Bauers coaching football and heading athletic departments are probably not going to be seen much more in the future, even with the ascension of Olsen in dual roles at Wayne Hills this fall, except for the few remaining men who have been doing it for years, such as veterans Karcich and Smolyn.

“Times have changed, that’s for sure,” said Porcelli. “There is a lot on one’s plate as an athletic director, but I do feel there are people that certainly can still coach and do a good job as AD.

“I think Jimmy Baglin at Mendham is a perfect example. He’s a guy who has coached basketball and run an athletic department exceptionally well for years. I think whether it’s basketball or football or hockey or whatever, it can certainly still be done.

“It’s just that the politics of a particular school district rule, and that’s simply a fact of life.”

It will be intriguing indeed to see how the highly-successful Wayne Hills head football coach Chris Olsen (right) balances his familiar coaching role with also administering the entire athletic department for Patriots this 2010-2011 school year. (Photo by Todd Mundt)

Mendham's Jim Baglin is a longtime athletic director-coach (boys basketball) who has been successful in handling dual roles at his high school. (Photo by Dominick Delli Paoli)

Tony Karcich of St. Joseph has had many years to ponder his dual responsibilities as athletic director and head football coach at the Montvale school. (Sideline Chatter photo)

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