COURTESY PHOTO
Anthony Nalen was named the new football coach at Saugus High on Friday.
By HAROLD RIVERA
Anthony Nalen is familiar with the rich tradition that sports hold within the Saugus community. This upcoming fall, he’ll have the chance to be a big part of it.
Nalen was named the new head football coach at Saugus High, the school announced on Friday. The 29-year-old native of Everett replaces former Sachems coach Mike Broderick, who led the football program at Saugus High for over 10 years.
Nalen said he’s looking forward to having the opportunity to lead the program.
“I’m excited,” Nalen said. “I’m looking forward to working with the Saugus community. I was fortunate enough to live in Saugus for four years before I moved to Malden. It’s a wonderful community. I’m looking forward to working with the program and the administration.”
A former three-sport athlete at Pope John in Everett, Nalen had a successful athletic career before moving into coaching. After starring at Pope John, Nalen took his talents to Springfield College where he quarterbacked the school’s football team. Nalen graduated from Springfield College in 2010 and jumped into the coaching realm shortly after.
He landed his first head coaching role at Matignon High School in 2013. Nalen’s head coaching career also includes stints at Bishop Connolly in Fall River, and, most recently, Randolph High School. He spent the 2016 season coaching the Randolph Blue Devils.
As he looks towards the upcoming fall season in his new role with the Sachems, Nalen said he’s hopeful that the players at Saugus will buy into his coaching system and his goals for the team.
“I feel like I’m a player’s coach,” Nalen said. “I work well with my players. I want them to buy into our product and our coaching staff. I’m looking for kids that will buy into the program. I think the school is hungry for success. I think having the ability to change the culture and having kids that are willing to do that will be a big key for us to have that success.”
The new role doesn’t come without its share of challenges. The Sachems finished the 2016 season 1-10, but Nalen is excited to face the tasks ahead of him. In a competitive Northeastern Conference, Nalen’s looking to move the team towards a new direction.
“I know they had Coach Broderick for a long time,” Nalen said. “I know they’ve had some success and some up and down years. I know there are tough kids there and tough football players. They play in a tough Northeastern Conference where there’s no weeks off. It’s a school that’s excited about going in a different direction. That’s something that I’m excited to be a part of.”
Nalen had the opportunity to gain a sense of familiarity with the Saugus High sports fans when he attended Friday night’s boys hockey game, a 5-2 Division 2 North state tournament win over Lynnfield at the Ned O’Brien Rink in Woburn.
“I was fortunate to be at the Saugus hockey game on Friday night in Woburn and it was exciting to see how much the town roots for its sports,” Nalen said. “My two older kids played in Saugus youth sports. You can tell there’s a lot of pride and commitment within the Saugus community.”
After coaching stints in different settings, Nalen believes that his background and experience will serve to prepare him for the job at Saugus. The Malden resident is confident that he’ll be able to relate to his players.
“I think the fact that I’ve coached in different settings has allowed me to come into this position and really be able to relate to the players no matter what their background is,” Nalen said. “It allows for us to build better relationships with the kids. It serves a larger purpose in allowing our kids to become young men and in regards to getting into college and growing up.”
Nalen hasn’t had the chance to meet his new players, but will get the opportunity to do so this week. From there, the team will move forward with an offseason workout program to prepare for the fall.
“I met with the (Saugus High) principal (Michael Hashem) on Wednesday,” Nalen said. “He gave me a tour of the facility. On Tuesday, I’ll meet the the team and we’ll get into starting our strength and conditioning program to see what areas we need to improve on.”