Montclair School District Hires New Athletic Director: Matthew Belford

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public School District announced the hiring of a new athletic director on Monday: Matthew Belford.

Belford comes to the district with 23 years of experience in athletics, six of those years being in administration. His hiring will become effective in February.

As athletic director, Belford will oversee all sports programs, coordinate events and work to ensure that the district’s athletic programs remain in compliance.

The Montclair High School athletic program is home to 31 competitive sports with three levels of competition: freshman, junior varsity and varsity.

“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead the athletic department at Montclair High School as its director,” Belford said. “It is a privilege to uphold and continue the 157-year tradition of Mountie success and pride.”

“My goal is to help student-athletes turn the lessons gained through competition into tools for making a positive impact on the world and inspiring others to do the same,” he added.

Belford previously served as director of athletics at Hightstown High School, where he led operations for 27 NJSIAA sports. Throughout his career he has helped 18 players to get signed with professional baseball teams, 78 players receive athletic and academic scholarships, fundraised more than $78,000 to support athletic programs, and received coach of the year accolades two times.

“We are confident that Matthew Belford will bring a fresh perspective to our athletic programs, focusing on both athletic performance and student development,” Montclair High School principal Jeffrey Freeman said.

“With his leadership, we expect to see increased student participation and success across all sports, as well as an emphasis on building a strong, inclusive sports culture that empowers all students to achieve their best,” Freeman said.

Melanie Deysher, president of the Montclair Board of Education, said administrators are “excited about the future of our athletic programs under Matthew Belford’s leadership.”

“His experience, dedication, and passion for student-athletes will help us build upon the positive, high-performing environment we currently have, and encourage our teams to reach even higher heights,” Deysher said. “We look forward to seeing our athletics thrive with his guidance.”

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