Stepping down as AD, Tilden hopes to make 'a difference' in his new role at Old Rochester
MATTAPOISETT — As Bill Tilden reflects on his 16 years as Old Rochester’s athletic director, he has a lot to be proud of.
Not only did the Bulldogs capture eight state championships and a slew of South Coast Conference titles, ORR had the highest win percentage among athletic programs in its division in four different years, each time earning either the Dalton or Ames award by The Boston Globe.
“It is such a strong program,” Tilden said. “Sports are so important to the kids. We are lucky because we end up with kids that are two or three sport athletes.”
Providing opportunities was always a priority for Tilden, who stepped down at the end of the school year to become the school’s groundskeeper. He was especially proud to help add three sports — lacrosse, swimming and sailing — to Old Rochester's athletic department during his tenure.
“We target all the kids to get going early,” he said. “We try to get as many freshmen out as possible. That leads to that success. We have one of the highest rates of kids that play sports. Eighty percent of students play at least one sport.
“All the kids can say they’re proud to be a Bulldog. When they came through our system — no matter how good they were — the time they spent in sports was well worth it. We did things the right way.”
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Over the past 16 years, the Bulldogs have won state titles in basketball, volleyball, golf, cross country and track (four times).
Tilden said he isn’t surprised with the amount of success Old Rochester’s teams have experienced.
“I think we have a tremendous coaching staff,” he said. “Our coaches always care more about the kids than wins and losses. That led to our success.”
Tilden said his fondest memories were deep runs in the state tournament.
“Some of the state title runs,” he said. “I have never been to a professional basketball or hockey game, but got to go to the Garden twice for hockey and basketball. Going to Foxboro for football. Those weren’t always successful, but just getting there was special. The crowds we’d have for a small school with 11 buses lining up for basketball you don’t forget.
“It’s definitely a community-wide thing when you get to that level.”
Tilden’s new position at the school will allow him to get back into coaching all three seasons — cross country, winter track and spring track. He had previously focused on just winter and spring track.
“Now I can commit to it more,” he said. “One of my favorite seasons is cross country. There is no closer group than cross country. They know their workouts are everyone else's misery. I’m looking forward to getting back to that.”
Tilden does have one regret.
“Coming up 60 votes short of getting a turf field — I won’t live that down,” he said. “The fields the kids are playing on are not great. The lack of field space has always been a real issue. That’s why I'm jumping to the spot that I am. I’m hoping to make a difference.”
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Bill Tilden steps down as Old Rochester athletic director for new role
