LYNN — It’s always nice when things come full circle. For Lynn’s Esteban Paula, that moment came Wednesday afternoon when the former English player and assistant coach was named the head baseball coach for the Bulldogs.
“Esteban is a great person, a great coach and a true English guy, and we’re very excited that we can welcome him in as our new head coach,” said English Athletic Director Dick Newton. “Esteban knows what’s expected, he’s been in the program and he has great relationships with the team already. We know he’s going to do a great job leading our student-athletes on and off the field.”
“I can’t even describe how excited I am to be taking over as the new coach at English,” said Paula, who played for the Bulldogs for two years (2008-2009) after moving to Lynn from the Dominican Republic at age 16. “To be able to give back to my community in this way is very special to me, and my number one goal is to help these kids on the field, help them get an education and help them get to college.”
Paula has been an assistant coach at English for the past several years under Doug Mullins, who died after a long battle with cancer in October at age 34. For Paula, carrying on Mullins’ legacy is one of the biggest reasons why he took the job.
“Doug was always there for the kids in every way, and he was doing so many great things for the team and for our community,” said Paula. “One of the biggest reasons why I took the job was so I could continue what he put in place. I just want to dedicate this upcoming season and every season going forward to Doug Mullins.”
Paula’s familiarity with the program and its players is something that he feels will give him a head start as a first-time head coach.
“I have a lot of chemistry with the guys and everyone is really comfortable with me already,” said Paula. “We already have really strong communication on and off the field, and I’m just going to continue that going forward.”
Paula’s baseball story is one to admire. After moving to Lynn without knowing any English as a teenager, Paula worked his way up both in the classroom and on the field. He was an all-star caliber player at second base and was named a team captain his senior year. And once he started to understand the language, he became an A-student.
Paula’s time at English helped him earn a spot on the junior college baseball team at Western Oklahoma State College, where he hit .394 and notched 25 RBI in 2011-2012. He also played at Faulkner University and for the North Shore Navigators. And he’s still playing ball every summer in the North Shore Baseball League for the Swampscott Sox, managed by his former coach at English Joe Caponigro.
“I think it’s such a great hire and I couldn’t be happier for him,” said Caponigro, who is now the head coach at Swampscott High. “There’s a lot to be said for a former student-athlete and coach coming back to take over at English, and the kids will benefit from that when they see and feel his enthusiasm.
“I actually saw him the other day, believe it or not, and we’re already teasing each other about playing in the spring,” said Caponigro. “And I will say on a personal note, it’s very rewarding for a guy like me when you see guys who played for you and coached with you get to become a head coach themselves.”
Paula is excited to get started with the Bulldogs, who will play one final season this spring as members of the Northeastern Conference before moving to the Greater Boston League in the 2022 season. After missing last year, Paula and his players can’t wait to get back together.
“We’re all really looking forward to this coming season,” said Paula. “I think we had a chance to be one of the best teams in the state last year, and although we lost some seniors and that was tough to deal with, we’re excited for what we have coming back. At this point, it’s time to prepare and take everything one day at a time.”