Schools

Meehan Ready for New Challenges as Rebel AD

Longtime coach settles into new role

This week marks the start of spring but for the athletes at Howell High School the spring season is already well underway. 

Many of the faces on the rosters are new this year but so is the person put in charge of the school's extracurricular activities. With the retirement of former athletic director Pete Bruno at the beginning of February the job now rests with Peter Meehan.

He may be new to the job but Meehan is familiar to the school having worked in the building for many years and is well known around the Shore Conference having coached football at various Monmouth County schools. 

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After working as a coach Meehan said he knew he wanted to take the next step in scholastic athletics. "It's something I wanted to do for quite some time," he said. "You're in athletics, you see how things are run and you'd like to see some things run a little differently. It's not until you're in the job that you can see how much differently you can run it."

Sitting in his new office Meehan said there have been quite a few times in the past month and a half where he has been on his office phone, his cell phone and his computer coordinating the various components of his job. "I started in the middle of the season and I'm still learning it," he noted after working with Bruno since September. It was not until he had the job on a full time basis that he realized "the volume of emails you get and the number of phone calls you get." 

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With this being his first full season Meehan said he is looking forward to getting more involved with the programs at the school. "I'd like to be very visible in the spring sports and get to know the parents," he said.

In the spring, games and matches on the tennis courts, the baseball, softball and lacrosse fields as well as the gym so Meehan said he knows he will have plenty of time to get to know everyone better as the weather gets warmer. "Trying to get this down within a year is definitely a goal," he said. "I need to get through this whole cycle because each season is so very different from the next."

Even as he learns the new job Meehan said he wants the community to know what they will get from him in his new role. "I'm going to do the best I can at all times," he said. "I'm not going to be able to please everyone all the time but I'm going to try."

Meehan said the students will be his first priority from the sporting events to the clubs and activities at the school. "The kids in this community deserve the best, I'm a part of this community, I live in this town and I want the best for them."

No matter what the students are doing, Meehan said he looks forward to seeing everyone making the community proud. "I want it to work," he said. "I want people to be respectful. I want the kids to be respectful. They are kids, just because you pay a few dollars for a ticket to walk in here doesn't mean you're at a Devil's game and you get to yell at whoever you want because you paid $100 for a ticket."

He added, "You're at a kids sporting event. These are young kids that deserve the best. Come here, support your community, have fun and show respect and show these kids the right way to do things."

Beyond the athletic fields Meehan said he hopes the community will support all the activities the Rebels take part in. "There is much more to Howell High School than just a football game on Friday night or a wrestling match on a Monday night. It's something the community should really reach out and check out."

To learn more about the school and the different activities check out the website with a full calendar of events. 


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