Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – WEDnESDAy, JUly 3, 2024 Sachem hockey great Matt Serino is back Winthrop High School’s athletic director, a 2005 Saugus High School graduate, resigns to take Saugus AD job By Mark E. Vogler S augus High School hockey Hall of Famer Matthew Serino – the son of the late Sachems sports legend for whom the Christie Serino Jr. Memorial Stadium is named – has been hired as the Saugus School Department’s new Athletic and Wellness Director. Matthew Serino, who had worked for close to a decade as the athletic director of Winthrop High School, began working for his hometown School Department this week. He replaces Terri Pillsbury, who had been the athletic director since 2018. Her contract was not renewed. “I am pleased that Matthew Serino is returning to Saugus to serve as our Athletic and Wellness Director,” Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 Saugus Public Schools Superintendent Michael Hashem said in a statement to The Saugus Advocate. “With his experience in the position and his dedication to the community of Saugus, I am certain that he will help bring our athletic programs to a highly competitive level,” Hashem said. “As a lifelong resident, an active member of the Saugus community and someone that is dedicated to the youth of Saugus, he should be able to transition to his role and hit the ground running,” the superintendent said. Athletic Director’s job expanded School Committee Chair Vincent Serino said the School Department “decided to go in a different direction” when it did not renew Pillsbury’s contract this spring. “The athletic director is also now in charge of wellness. It’s a totally different situation. It’s a more complicated situation than it was,” Serino said. “It’s nothing against Terry. She did a great job. We decided to expand upon the current position. Matt did a phenomenal job at Winthrop. He’s got a proven track record there. We’re hoping that he can move our participation rates up and bring Saugus athletics up to the next level,” Serino said. Matt starred in hockey while at Saugus High, leading the Sachems to the Division 2 state championship in 2004. He was named to The Boston Globe and Boston Herald All Scholastic teams, and in 2018 he was inducted into the Saugus High Sports Hall of Fame. His wife, Sabrina Cataldo Serino, another standout Saugus High athlete, was also inducted that year. She was recognized for her outstanding athleticism in soccer and indoor and outdoor track. Matt Serino has worked in the Winthrop Public School system since 2011 as the High School Health Teacher. He has coaching experience as an assistant hockey coach and head lacrosse coach at the high school level. He became athletic director at Winthrop High in 2015. Winthrop High sports MATTHEW SERINO RETURNS: The Saugus High School graduate began a new job this week as the School Department’s Athletic and Wellness Director. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) teams have excelled with Serino overseeing the athletic programs. Winthrop teams have won multiple championships and have been highly competitive while playing in the Northeastern Conference. The hockey team was a state Final Four team during the 2023-24 season. Saugus, which is known as an avid hockey town, was a high school powerhouse during Matt Serino’s playing days and during the years that his father coached hockey here. School Committee Chair Serino noted that Saugus High has been a co-op hockey team with Peabody in recent years. “We’d like to see Saugus hockey come back to the way it was,” Serino said. “Matt has a plan. This is a good fit. The timing is good. At the end of the day, it’s a great fit for Saugus and Saugus athletics,” he said. “A genuine good person” School Committee Member John Hatch has high expectations of Matt Serino’s future in heading up the Saugus High Athletic Department. “I coached Matt in hockey for eight years and watched him grow from a High School athlete to a college student to a professional administrator – and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Hatch said in an interview this week. “He’s one of the finest Sachems I’ve known. One thing that they can never take away from him – Matt is a genuine good person. That’s what makes him so special,” Hatch said. “I wasn’t involved in the process that led to his hiring. But I’m happy for the school district and the student athletes. Now they’re going to SERINO | SEE PAGE 9
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