Wilmette Beacon: Regina Names Mancuso Athletic Director
From 22nd Century Media’s Wilmette Beacon July 31, 2019
Regina names Mancuso athletic director
Brian Mancuso has been an athletic director for over a decade. Born and raised in Terre Haute, Ind., he spent nearly eight years as the athletic director and over four years as the assistant athletic director at Terre Haute South Vigo High School before spending the last two months as the interim assistant athletic director at Lake Forest High School.
Now he’ll be taking his talents to Wilmette after being named Regina Dominican’s new athletic director. Mancuso replaces Tom Marcum, who had been at the helm for three years and now moves over to Lisle High School to be that school’s athletic director.
“I’ve been an athletic director and always have had a love of sport,” he said. “I wanted to continue what I was doing and I’ve obviously been attracted to the area, it’s a great area lots of great people. Very friendly. So, I think I love those things and the more I learn about the routine, the community and the more I’m impressed and I think it’s a great fit.
“People I talked to up here and friends from the area all said really good things about Regina.”
Mancuso’s old school is pretty much the opposite of Regina — a co-ed school of over 1,800 students, compared to Regina’s girls- only, 544-student population — but he doesn’t feel it will be that much of a change or difference.
“I think all schools have their unique cultures and their challenges,” he said. “I think one of the things that’s attractive about Regina is the fact you can meet and understand the kids, and see more kids, you know and see kind of how they progress. In a school of 1,800, it’s a little bit harder to develop relationships with kids.”
At Regina, Mancuso will look to built on the things Marcum laid the foundation on.
This past year, the school improved some of its athletic facilities, including playing the first softball, soccer and lacrosse games on school grounds. Previously, the Panthers had used fields at Techny Towers in Northbrook as their home fields during the spring.
“It’s a win-win,” Mancuso said, “First of all, for our student athletes, the fact that they do, they play at home in front of their town, their community, their fans. I think it’s going to benefit for them.
“Also, since they’re at home they’re not traveling and I know our student athletes have a lot of other interests, and this will allow them to focus more time on their clubs and their studies, maybe some things outside of sports. I’m really excited for the opportunity to continue to host.”
Mancuso moved to the area after getting engaged and to be closer to his fiance, who lives in Highland Park. He mentioned that the area is one of the things that enticed him to leave the state he had grown up in.
Mancuso admits that moving from one state’s athletic association to another might be tricky, sports are sports. Some of the main differences are that some sports sanctioned by the IHSA aren’t sanctioned as official sports in Indiana and that some sports’ seasons are different in the two states.
However, he’s developed a vision, one that he feels will help the Panthers continue to have success.
“I think number one, I think we need to increase our website and social media presence and get our name out, and then to continue to help in the area, and provide safe and quality opportunities for girls to play sports,” he said, “I think both of those things … I think we need to continue to teach schools in the classroom and then outside the classroom, which will allow our population to go on and go to a collegiate atmosphere and be students, and be leaders; basically allow them an opportunity to grow.”
The Mancuso Regina era gets underway Aug. 22 when the tennis team faces off with Maine West and golf team takes on Evanston.
