Published in the August 3, 2018 edition

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

NORTH READING — Sometimes an in-house hire is the most exciting.

North Reading High School Athletic Director David Johnson recently named Ed Blum the new head coach of the NRHS varsity football team.

Blum, a special education teacher at NRHS, has spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Hornets.

“Anytime you can hire an in-house person that has experience with the staff, it’s a good thing,” said Johnson. “We look forward to working with him and taking a program that’s already had a couple years of good success and continuing that as the norm.”

It’s the first head coaching gig at the high school level for the 28-year-old who can’t wait to get started.

“I’m just excited,” said Blum. “I know the kids have been working hard and everyone’s excited for this season. I’m excited to take the reigns a little bit and I’m excited for the kids that they get some continuity going into this year.”

ED BLUM (left) was recently named the new head coach of NRHS varsity football by Athletic Director David Johnson. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

A graduate of Bentley University, Blum coached freshman football for one season at his alma mater Weston High School, and was an assistant varsity coach at Westwood High for five seasons.

While historically a successful program, North Reading has been especially impressive during Blum’s two years as offensive coordinator. The Hornets averaged 26.3 points in his first season in 2016, up about three points from the previous season. When last year’s senior starting quarterback Kyle Bythrow was lost to injury for most of the season, the Hornets still had one of the most vaunted attacks in the Cape Ann League. He helped guide North Reading through the tough defenses of Div. 4, where NR is the only CAL team. They nearly upset super bowl champion Melrose last year in the Div. 4 North semifinals, falling 28-27.

And hey, It doesn’t hurt that he’s 2-0 against Lynnfield on Thanksgiving (21-20 in 2016, 27-13 last year).

Blum prefers a spread offense, utilizing the strengths of the linemen and skill position players. 

It’s not all O, as Blum spent his last three years at Westwood studying under the defensive coordinator.

“He’s got a strong knowledge of the game of football,” said Johnson.

“He has a football mind well beyond his years,” agreed Eric Archambault, NRHS head baseball coach and assistant varsity football coach.

But aside from the familiarity, x’s and o’s, North Reading wanted a strong leader and a role model for their student athletes.

“Eddie is a tremendous coach,” said Archambault. Blum is also an assistant for the varsity baseball team. “He connects with each student athlete and is an incredible role model for them. He sets high standards for the players and does a great job of getting the most out of them.”

Johnson likes Blum because he communicates well with the contemporary student.

“Not only does he know how to effectively lead a group of football players, but he is truly able to develop relationships with every player on the team which is vital to our success,” said captain Alex D’Ambrosio.

Unlike many football coaches, Blum doesn’t talk about his players like pieces on a chess board, but rather like leaders with worker bee mentalities. His job is to lead by example and give them the resources to succeed.

“I think the kids changed the culture here,” said Blum. “Part of that was the new building and the weight room, but there’s a solid foundation of leadership from the kids and I think it’s allowed the program to go in the right direction.”

Many of those leaders on the field will return as seniors in 2018, looking for the team’s third straight CAL title. The 2018 captains, D’Ambrosio, Dylan Cole, Mike Sheridan and Matt Solecki are confident in their new head coach.

“Coach Blum is all about discipline, hard work, commitment, and making sure we are having a good time as well,” said Solecki. “He sets the example for how we should act on and off the field.”

“We are very excited to have him lead us this year,” agreed D’Ambrosio. “Being an assistant coach last year, we know his style and we have full confidence in his capabilities and his leadership on and off the field.”

It only took two years, but Blum proved to the players, fans, fellow coaches and administration members that his devotion, character and attitude are strong enough to put to rest any concerns about his experience level as a head coach.

“I think the learning curve is going be very short,” said Johnson of Blum’s transition to head coach. “Instead of just being one of the staff you’re managing a staff. Instead of giving suggestions, you’re making decisions which is a little bit different. Those were all factors and part of the reason why we think we got the right guy for the job.”

Blum is quick to mention the current coaches on staff as resources to help him take this next step. Most of the assistants from last year will be returning, including Archambault, Chuck Campobasso, Jim Brown and Elias Reinoso. The new defensive coordinator will be Matt Costello, a health teacher at NRHS who played and coached football at Ithaca College. All together, they will maintain that continuity while helping Blum create his own environment.

“Certainly, program values and what we preach might be a little bit different, but we’ll have a lot of the same systems and a lot of the things we’ve been doing in the past we’re going to continue to do, so we’re hoping that that limits the transition period and leads into success right away,” said Blum.

While he’s only spent two years with NR football, Blum knows well and appreciates the history of the team, and is looking forward to upholding those traditions and expectations while continuing to write new chapters of success in perhaps the toughest division the program has ever experienced.

“It creates a fun atmosphere to be in. It’s fun to be a part of a program that has high expectations. We’re excited by the league because it’s tough competition and we’re excited by the division we play in. The past two years has showed the kids we are a very competitive team in Div. 4. A lot teams early on when we first joined D4, they maybe didn’t think much of North Reading because we were the only CAL team in D4, but we’ve had a couple of wins in the playoffs so the kids are definitely a little more confident.”

It’s an excitement that’s shared by the current student athletes.

“Our main goal for this year is to win the CAL for the third straight year,” said Solecki. “I think everyone is very excited to have training camp start up again. The team knows our potential for this year and we are all excited to start building up to that.”

“Our expectations remain the same. We continue to seek out another CAL title and are confident that we will be able to deliver that again this year,” agreed D’Ambrosio. “With preseason only a few weeks away, I know the team is very excited to get rolling again and can’t wait to get back on the field.”

Nobody more than Ed Blum.