Mike Mazzaccaro, one of the greatest distance runners in Christian Brothers Academy history, was named the new Director of Athletics at his alma mater, CBA announced on Tuesday.
Mazzaccaro, a 2011 graduate of CBA and a 2015 graduate of Princeton University, takes over for 1999 CBA grad Vito Chiaravalloti, who recently stepped down as the Director of Athletics at CBA to pursue a career in the business world.
As CBA AD, Mazzaccaro will lead a department of 18 interscholastic sports, over 60 coaches, and upwards of 700 student-athletes per year.
Mazzaccaro will officially begin as CBA's Director of Athletics on August 1st, according to the press release.
"It is a privilege and honor to be named the Director of Athletics at CBA," Mazzaccaro said in the press release. "As a student, teacher and coach at CBA, I have been blessed to work with the best administrators, teachers, coaches, and students. I look forward to working with all of the members of our community to further our Lasallian mission through athletics."
"CBA is fortunate to have Michael Mazzaccaro as our new Director of Athletics," CBA President Brother Frank Byrne said in the press release. "Michael has distinguished himself both here and at Princeton University as an outstanding student-athlete. His experience as a teacher and a coach at CBA has given him the opportunity to truly connect with our students, and he will be an excellent addition to CBA's administrative team."
Mazzaccaro, who has taught world history, Advanced Placement U.S. history, and served as an assistant cross country and track coach with at CBA since 2016, is a huge part of CBA's remarkable distance running legacy.
Legendary CBA XC coach Tom Heath, who retired from coaching at CBA in December of 2015, called Mazzaccaro the best XC runner in CBA history.
On the trails for the Colts, Mazzaccaro was a two--time Non-Public A state cross-country champion, placed 2nd to lead CBA to the team title at the 2010 XC Meet of Champions with a time of 15:20, a CBA school record and No. 6 in course history. He also placed 15th at the Nike National Championships in 2010 to help CBA place 5th, and ran a then course record 15:01.7 at Ocean County Park as a senior in the fall of 2010.
On the track, Mazzaccaro anchored CBA to the distance medley Championship of America title at the 2011 Penn Relays, and won multiple state Non-Public A, county and conference titles.
"I learned some of life's greatest lessons from the teachers and coaches that have surrounded me at CBA," Mazzaccaro said in the press release. "From teachers like Jeff Matson and Dave Duh, who taught me that hard work can be enjoyable, to Karl Torchia, Tom Heath, and Chris Bennett, who promoted a team-first approach that guided my entire athletic career, I hope to honor all of them by putting their lessons to work as Director of Athletics."
After graduating from CBA, Mazzaccaro went to Princeton University where he was named an Academic All-American and All-Ivy League second team during the outdoor outdoor track and field season.
In his four years as an assistant XC and track and field coach at CBA, Mazzaccaro helped the Colts win four straight Non-Public A state XC championships, three XC Meet of Champions titles, and earn four trips to the National Team Championships.
Mazzaccaro also served as moderator for the Future Business Leaders of America and Fed Challenge clubs.
CBA Principal Ross Fales feels that Mazzaccaro is the perfect fit to lead CBA's Athletic Department.
"Mike is a dedicated educator who is totally committed to CBA, has demonstrated exceptional intelligence, and has an ability to quickly adapt to - and succeed in - a number of very different environments," Fales said in the press release.. "I am extremely happy to have Mike on our administrative team as we navigate this new reality that we find ourselves in and I have complete confidence that he will lead this storied athletic program to continued success."
Mazzaccaro said the sports teams at CBA will continue to be an extension of the classroom. "Our athletic teams at CBA will always be an extension of the classroom and the broader learning experience for our students," said Mazzaccaro, who owns and operates Radix Running, a summer running camp. "We will continue to commit ourselves to educating the complete student: mind, body and spirit."