District Seeks New Head Football Coach

At Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Alvarez announced that the district is actively seeking a new Head Football Coach at Montclair High School. The position will replace Ed Lebida, who has been filling the dual role of Head Coach and Assistant Principal for many years, and who will be retiring next month.

As the selection process gets under way, the district will convene a group of community members, along with staff, to contribute input toward the final decision. Two rounds of interviews are planned, with the announcement of the new hire anticipated in early March.

“We’ve been getting letters from alumni who live all over the world, suggesting candidates,” the Superintendent said at the meeting. He added that internal candidates who may be considered for the position will not be included in the staff/community search group.

The position will be filled by an individual “possessing a thorough knowledge of the game, a sophisticated understanding of coaching strategies, a successful background in coaching football, and a demonstrated ability to enhance player development,” the vacancy posting reads.

In addition, applicants must have a valid New Jersey Instructional Certificate. The Montclair Public School District is an equal opportunity employer and applicants of all minority groups, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Mr. Lebida, who as Head Football Coach has brought the Mounties team to glory year after year, expressed gratitude to the school and administration at Monday night’s meeting. Along with his coaching duties, Mr. Lebida was formerly a math teacher at the high school prior to taking up his duties as Assistant Principal.

The district is not seeking to replace both the Assistant Principal and Head Coach position with one staff member. Mr. Lebida’s Assistant Principal duties have been re-assigned to existing staff for the remainder of the 2009-10 school year, while the search for Head Coach will commence after the winter recess. The new Head Coach is expected to take over the position during the summer of 2010.

For more information about the Head Coach position, or to apply, contact the Human Resources Department at (973) 509-4005. For more information about the staff/community/alumni search committee, contact the Superintendent’s Office at (973) 509-4010.