BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Meeting on Mon., Mar. 26, the Boardman Board of Education voted unanimously to name Jeff Hammerton as the district’s next Athletic Director.
      Hammerton will replace Marco Marinucci, who is retiring in June. Hammerton’s three-year contract begins July 1, 2024.
      Hammerton has served as the system’s assistant athletic director under Marinucci and is a math teacher at Robinwood Lane Elementary School.
      “Marco has done a tremendous job for us as our athletic director for the last five years, and Jeff has worked in tandem with him. The transition should be seamless for our athletes and coaches,” said Superintendent Tim Saxton. “Jeff also has a passion and energy that is contagious and can only benefit athletics in Boardman,” said Saxton.
      For the past two basketball seasons, Hammerton has served as head coach of Lady Spartans basketball. This season his team finished with a 19-6 record, and they went 34-15 under his direction over the last two seasons. In Dec. 2023, a Boardman win over Marlington gave Hammerton his 100th career coaching win.
      Hammerton is a 1992 graduate of Boardman High School. After high school, he attended Kent State University for his freshman year, then transferred to Youngstown State where he earned a degree in education.
      He has spent the last 24 years as a math teacher at Robinwood Lane.
      During his career with Boardman Local Schools, Hammerton has also coached freshman boy’s basketball, eighth grade boy’s basketball, as well as girl’s and boy’s tennis.
      He has earned laurels as Tennis Coach of the Year and, as well as girls basketball Coach of the Year by the Mahoning Valley Coaches Association and District 1 Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association.
      In 2005, he was recognized as Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year.
      In his new position, Hammerton’s annual salary will be $90,424. He will oversee some 45 interscholastic teams at Boardman where some 700-plus student-athletes compete in sports.
      “I’ve worked closely with Marco, and I plan to continue building our programs, collaborating with coaches, and looking for more opportunities. I want to follow in the footsteps of some of the great coaches and leaders who mentored me, and hope to pass that leadership skill on to our young student athletes today.”
      Hammerton resides in Boardman with his wife, Gina, a teacher at West Blvd. Elementary. Their daughter, Mia, is a BHS graduate, and their son, Gabe, is a sophomore at BHS.