After 31 Years Mr. Dormandy Passes the Reigns to Mr. Dennehy
By Rohit Shankar ’09
News Senior Staff Reporter
Next year will mark a new beginning in Choate’s Athletics department, as Gary Dormandy, a veteran of 31 years in the Department, is leaving this year. His loss is a crushing blow to the Athletics program as Mr. Dormandy has been the backbone in the Athletics’ department since he stepped into the offices.
“It’s a great loss, 31 years here and the things he does so easily. He thinks of things I don’t think of. We are losing a lot of institutional memory with his leaving,” said Athletic Director Ned Gallagher. Even with Dormandy moving it is certain that the athletics department will continue to run smoothly as Patrick Dennehy, a member of the Admissions office and the Boys Varsity Hockey coach will be transitioning into the Athletics’ office to take over some of Mr. Dormandy’s duties. Mr. Dennehy will continue to pursue responsibilities across both departments as he will work part-time with both. He will, as he put it, “have my foot in the door” in admissions as he will still be in charge of admissions of Postgraduates and 5th formers, but his office will move over to the athletics building solidifying his place in the department.
New Roles
Althletic Director Gallagher has to decide who the successor to Mr. Dormandy will be. He met with colleague Sarah Nutting, who will now be working full-time in the Athletics’ department, to try and figure out the best possible scenario. “We always consider to what extent we want to go through a formal process, as we talked about it, this was the best arrangement possible,” commented Gallagher. The job descriptions for both Dennehy and Nutting will change drastically as their roles in the department have changed. Mrs. Nutting will be fully in charge of interscholastic support, as she will take care of much of the scheduling duties. She will also be involved in oversight of Choate’s intramural program as well as athletic requirements for all of Choate’s student body. Dennehy’s role will be slightly different as he will be half administrative and half athletics. He will help with practice schedules for all the teams on campus as well as awards. He, along with Gallagher and Nutting, has attempted to look at what exactly Gary Dormandy did in the Athletics’ department to try and make the transition much smoother. “This Spring is focused on transition,” stated Mr. Gallagher. It is the dawning of a new era in Choate Athletics. “Mr. Dennehy is really excited and eager about this new opportunity,” said Gallagher.
Dennehey’s Genes
Pat Dennehy was literally born into Athletics. His father was part of the Athletics’ department at Exeter and as he put it, “I grew up in a gym.” When he worked at the Holderness School some years ago, his interest in Athletics was rekindled, and during his tenure at Choate he has been hoping to play a role in the department, other than as a head coach. “I’m very excited, anytime you have the opportunity to make a change it is very exciting,” stated Dennehy. Dennehy is most excited about his ability to connect more with current students while still being able to have a say as to the students admitted into this fine institution. Also, he will be able to travel much less and in turn spend more time on campus as well as learning about what goes on “behind the scenes” in the athletics’ office. Dennehy has found the perfect niche on Choate’s campus that suits him well. He will be able to work in two departments where his passion will be unrivaled. “I’m a very competitive guy, and I really like to win, not just in Hockey, but all sports as well,” stated Dennehy. It is clear that his competitiveness and will to win will make a tremendous impact in both his old role in admissions, and his new one in the Athletics’ department. All in all, the addition of Mr. Dennehy to the athletics’ department could only bring good to the school as a whole, even with the loss of a legend in Gary Dormandy. “These are big shoes to fill, but I’m not looking to fill them, I’m just looking to help move on,” said Dennehy. Dormandy’s meticulousness and his amazing experience were touched on by both Gallagher and Dennehy, and they could not be any more right. On the other hand, Choate did not have to look far for a more than capable replacement.
