Greg Vouros was keeping his eyes and ears open for an athletic director job after receiving a master’s degree in athletic administration.
Mohawk Trail Regional School of Buckland decided to add a full-time athletic director position at the end of last school year. Previously the position was part time with a stipend and tied in with the physical education teacher’s job.
The first opportunity Vouros discovered turned out to be the right one. He started as Mohawk’s athletic director in August.
“I’ve been working in sports for most of my life,” he said. “I’m just really excited to have the opportunity at Mohawk.”
Vouros was selected from a pool of nearly 30 applicants.
“Immediately what we noticed about Greg was that he had a master’s degree in athletic administration,” said Mohawk co-principal Marisa Mendonsa, a former Amherst Regional Middle School principal. “I think that can be rare sometimes with athletic directors.”
Vouros earned his master’s from Ohio University last year. He completed the degree online while coaching Amherst Regional’s varsity baseball and freshman basketball teams.
“He also has been a coach himself, and a very successful one at that,” Mendonsa said. “He would have that experience of knowing how to work with the students and to understand the MIAA rules specifically.”
Vouros coached baseball in Amherst for 14 years, including nine as a head coach. He also worked as a para-educator at Amherst. His teams won a state championship in 2010 and captured two Division 1 Western Massachusetts titles. The Hurricanes gave Vouros his 100th career win with a 7-3 triumph over Mohawk in April.
“Coach ’Ros is a great guy. He did so much for Amherst baseball and taught me a lot as a baseball player,” said Amherst graduate Seth Bella-Hunter, who will play for Westfield State in the spring. “I think he will do big things at Mohawk. I’m really happy for him.”
The Amherst athletic office will miss Vouros as much as the baseball program. Amherst athletic director Rich Ferro and Vouros both grew up in Amherst and played for the Hurricanes.
“There’s definitely something a little different about people involved in our athletic programs that have that level of pride for the community,” Ferro said. “You tend to go a little above and beyond when it’s the place where you grew up and had a good experience and you want to see that keep going. I’ll miss having him around.”
Ferro helped Vouros access case studies, paperwork and management systems at Amherst while he was studying for his master’s. Their relationship continued once Vouros started at Mohawk. Ferro showed him the nitty gritty of the MIAA’s website and detailed his responsibilities in terms of reporting scores, schedules, etc. They talked about communicating with sports commissioners who assign the officials and transportation companies.
“As much as you are involved as a coach you don’t necessarily see all the behind the scenes stuff,” Ferro said.
Despite needing to learn some of the technical aspects of the job, Ferro was confident in Vouros’ ability to transition in his new role. He highlighted Vouros’ organization, his communication skills and willingness to ask questions if he wasn’t sure about a situation. The biggest plus, though, is his love for athletics.
“As hard as this job can get, day in and day out I know I’m involved in something I’m passionate about,” Ferro said. “I grew up around athletics, it’s something I’ve done my whole life. It brings me a lot of joy. I know Greg is in that exact same situation.”
Mohawk has seen the passion in its short involvement with Vouros. He’s met with coaches, administrators and central office staff to better understand Mohawk’s sports, the expectations of its athletes and become familiar with the inner workings of the athletic department. On Monday, he was at a back-to-school potluck to welcome new families, and provide athletic contracts and updates on athletics in addition to recruiting players for short-handed teams.
“It’s been a great introduction for him, and it’s been a real pleasure getting to know him and work with him,” Mendonsa said.
Vouros is excited for the challenge. He is thrilled to be able to stay in western Mass. and begin his career as an athletic director.
“I think this is a great opportunity as an athletic director in western Mass,” Vouros said. “Everyone’s been great up there so far. I’m really exited for fall sports season to get going.”