Bishop Stang's new athletic director wants to continue strong tradition

Bishop Stang’s athletics made quite the first impression on Nate Greene.

As the school’s new boys soccer coach in 2018, he fondly remembers how athletes from other sports came to support his team at games.

“The tradition of our athletics is just different,” he said. “When I started coaching here, I was shocked how kids who played sports on other teams would come to support the team. They would be cheering for us. I had never seen a culture like that.

“Being around and involved in athletics every day at Stang, I knew I wanted to take on a bigger role in the department.”

After serving as Stang’s assistant athletic director for the past two years, Greene will take over the athletic director duties from Dennis Golden on July 1.

“Nate Greene is extremely bright and he brings great energy as well as great organization to our Bishop Stang community each day,” Golden said. “He has a plan each day and he is positive. Nate has been highly impactful both as a teacher and as a coach. He has done an outstanding job coaching both boys and girls, and his students and players are fiercely loyal to him.”

Golden will continue to coach football at Bishop Stang and will transition into the school’s counseling department.

“Making an impact is a goal for all of us,” Golden said. “I believe that I can be effective and make an impact in this role. Working with students is what we all love to do. It is always fun and it is always rewarding. I look forward to building new relationships and to helping students in all possible avenues.”

Bishop Stang President Jim Bensen added, “Dennis was critical in helping the school safely navigate the challenges of planning competitions during COVID. His tireless work ethic has been an inspiration to many and has served our athletic program well over the past six years. I am excited for the positive impact he will have on the students as he transitions to our school counseling office.”

POLL Vote for the SouthCoast Boys Athlete of the Week for April 24-30

Greene said that Golden has been a mentor to him on his journey.

“I’ve worked so closely with Dennis the past few years,” he said. “I have learned so much from him. He’s a man of incredible integrity and I couldn’t have had a better role model.”

The 33-year-old Greene becomes Bishop Stang’s seventh athletic director in school history.

“I’m already very proud of the athletic program that we have,” said Greene. “We do a lot of stuff right and that’s not about me, it’s about our tradition.

“I’d like to continue to help our programs grow. I’d like to see our teams make more of an impact, especially in the statewide tournament and continue to put ourselves on the map statewide. There is so much opportunity there for us.”

POLL Vote for the SouthCoast Girls Athlete of the Week for April 24-30

Greene was a three-sport athlete (soccer, basketball and baseball) at Fairhaven High before graduating in 2008. He then graduated from Curry College with a bachelors in politics and history in 2012 and went on to get a master’s degree in secondary education from UMass Amherst in 2014. Greene recently received a certificate in athletic administration from Providence College.

“Bishop Stang is eager for Nate Greene to take on this role of athletic director,” said Benson. “Nate has proven his commitment to the mission of our school, which I have observed in his daily interactions with both student-athletes and coaches. His passionate, yet thoughtful and level-headed approach to planning will serve our school well for years to come.”

GIRLS LACROSSE Fairhaven beats Apponequet in battle among SCC's top two teams

Greene said he first considered becoming an athletic director when he was coaching at his alma mater.

“I started coaching at Fairhaven first. I was teaching in New Bedford at the time,” said Greene, who lives in Dartmouth with his wife, Kristen. “I spent a lot of time with Scott Francis, who was the previous AD at Fairhaven. I absorbed a lot of what he did day to day. I started to think this could be a potential path for me.

“The biggest thing is that I’m very passionate about it. It never feels like a job to me. I love working with young people and I love working with athletics.”

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Bishop Stang names Nate Greene Athletic Director in 2023