Old Rochester Regional names new athletic director
Old Rochester has a new athletic director and it’s a familiar face on the SouthCoast.
From a pool of 41 applicants, Chris Carrig was selected to replace Bill Tilden, who stepped down after 16 years at the helm of one of the area’s most successful athletic departments.
Under Tilden, Old Rochester captured eight state titles and had the highest win percentage among athletic programs in its division in four different years.
“I have an understanding of what’s in place,” said the 39-year-old Carrig. “I’m happy to pick up where Bill Tilden left off and move forward.”
“We’re excited to bring Chris on,” said Old Rochester principal Mike Devoll. “He checked all the boxes for us. We had a large committee and he was a unanimous choice for the selection committee.”
Devoll said that the committee was impressed with Carrig’s accomplishments as Fairhaven High’s athletic director over the past five years.
“He is a well-respected athletic director,” Devoll said. “He does everything the right way. What we were excited about is how he really demonstrated a vision at Fairhaven whether it was turning over programs or facilities. We’re excited to see the vision he has for the future of our program.”
Not only did the Blue Devils capture 12 South Coast Conference titles during Carrig’s tenure, he oversaw the addition of a turf field and updated stadium.
“I’m very grateful for the time I spent in Fairhaven and doing the job I wanted to do there,” Carrig said. “I hadn’t really looked around, but if you know the area and programs in the area, when this type of opportunity presents itself, it’s a no-brainer.
“I feel honored to be chosen, knowing the number of applicants and the types of applicants.”
Carrig will also serve as a campus aide at Old Rochester.
“It’s the man on campus and man in the hallways,” Devoll said. “He’ll be there to make sure everything runs smoothly on day-to-day operations. We felt that was important. That's where you develop relationships with kids.
“With experience as a classroom teacher, we thought Chris could help us with the campus aide role and he’s a sitting South Coast Conference athletic director. We know he’s got a proven track record of success.”
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Carrig got his first taste of what it’s like to be an athletic director at Bishop Stang, where he served as assistant AD for a year before getting the job at Fairhaven High in 2018.
“It sort of came to me. I enjoyed coaching and taking on a number of roles in different seasons,” said Carrig, who was Stang’s head boys lacrosse coach for nine years. “I thought it was something I could do and enjoy at Stang. I got a degree at Endicott and the job at Fairhaven opened up. It sort of lined up nicely.
“Now I’m excited for an opportunity to work in a full-time role at Old Rochester.”
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Carrig said he’s looking forward to working with ORR’s coaches and student athletes.
“I'm really interested to hear from the coaches and the athletes what they think will make things better,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for the people that are there and what they are doing. They know better than I do what works and what doesn’t work. From the outside looking in, it’s a well-oiled machine.”
Carrig lives in Portsmouth, RI with his wife, Erin, and their two children, Quinn, 5, and Hudson, 3.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Old Rochester names Chris Carrig new athletic director
