By Chewy Baumel ’13, Sports Editor

Throughout the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Newark Academy sports program has compiled over 70 prep and NJSIAA championships. An integral part of the sports program that many athletes, fans, and parents overlook is the Athletic Department. This department is responsible not only for organizing teams, but also for ensuring that schedules are complete, coaches are hired, transportation is arranged, and a whole host of other things about which students often forget.

Mr. Ed Manigan has been the Newark Academy Athletic Director for five years, assuming the post in 2007. Prior to being an athletic director, he also served as the Assistant Athletic Director at the school for three years, as well as a humanities teacher for nine years teaching European History, American Foreign Policy, and Vietnam War Studies. For over seventeen years now, Mr. Manigan has been a significant influence in the NA community. Notably, in 2008, Mr. Mangian played an instrumental role in the athletic department’s realignment of conferences in order to form the new SEC conference. A nostalgic Mr. Manigan recalls: “That change helped Newark Academy sports as it eliminated the long bus rides and helped place many of NA’s sports teams into more competitive, fair conferences.” This school year, however, will indeed mark the end of an era, as Mr. Manigan formally announced to the faculty and administration this past summer that he would be stepping down as Athletic Director in June.

In an interview Mr. Manigan reflected, “I’m at that stage in my life where I need to slow down a bit, but being the Athletic Director [at Newark Academy] has been a great experience for me.” The job as athletic director comes with many responsibilities and among the longest days of anyone in the NA community. Whether it is the process of hiring new coaches, or declaring a field unplayable, the athletic directorship  is a position that Mr. Manigan has handled with confidence and pride. When reflecting on his daily responsibilities, Mr. Manigan offered a candid response. “The job has very rewarding aspects,” he pointed out, “such as getting to witness championships and big wins over rival schools. However, it also comes with some discouraging aspects that are sometimes even troublesome.”

The search for a new Athletic Director has begun, with a post on the NA Website, and a team led by Dean of Faculty Mr. Rollenhagen. When asked if he had any words of wisdom for the incoming Athletic Director, Mr. Manigan offered the following advice: “The new athletic director should be ready to take on the challenge of learning the rich and terrific culture of NA where academics are obviously the number one priority. Finding that balance between sports and academics will always be a challenge, but a key for the new AD would be to understand the big picture [here] at NA.” With the ever-strong help of Ms. Liz Bona-Beach and Ms. Marissa Marino, the transition should be fluid for the new Athletic Director. As of now, the identity of potential candidates for the position remains unknown to the public. However, it is believed that there are internal, as well as external, candidates interested in the position.

Although Mr. Manigan’s days as athletic director are coming to an end this June, he is looking to get back into teaching, or possibly even coaching at NA. “The NA community has been a fantastic place to be a part of and I have always enjoyed working with and teaching kids in the classroom. I would love to get back to doing that again.”

Regardless of Mr. Manigan’s plans for next year, as an important figure in the community for years, he will truly be missed in the NA athletic department. Junior linemen for the football team, Robert Kwiatkowski comments, “Coach Manigan was always there for us, as a defensive coordinator, as a coach, and as a mentor. He has been there for us through the good and has helped pull us through some rough patches over the year. His presence will be missed on and off the field.”