Hargis to Retire at End of Year

His bearded face is one that students and staff have seen in plenty of places: ELHS track to AD’s office to the math department office, but Steve Hargis is now retiring after over 20 years of teaching and coaching ELHS students-athletes.

He’s an excellent athletic director, organizing sports for the entire school, and I think most of us don’t realize how much he actually does behind the scenes,” senior and member of the track team Lucas DeNucci said.

Most students also don’t know the story as to how Coach Hargis got to becoming one of ELHS’s top athletic directors.

Mr. Hargis was first welcomed to ELHS as a statistics teacher in 2002. He was already in the sports field back then, as both before and continuing into teaching math he was director for the U.S. Under 19 national rowing team as a “side job,” and training 80 to 100 coaches at camps across the country. In addition, he also coached the women’s rowing team at the Coast Guard academy for over 10 years.

“It seemed obvious that if I could consolidate the types of people and problems that I was dealing with, I could get good at doing both at the same time,” Mr. Hargis said.

When he had the opportunity to become ELHS athletic director, Coach Hargis accepted, overseeing the 65 to 70 coaches that were at ELHS. During this time, Hargis also became the coach for the boys’ track team, which while a drastic change from rowing, was also a welcome one for him after several years of coaching crew.

“It forced me to become a student of the sport. I had to really start over again, and that was fun,” Mr. Hargis said. The runners, such as DeNucci, appreciate all of the work that Mr. Hargis has put into the track team, and his consistent dedication to it as well.

“He’s always at the meets, and he’s always supported us, no matter what. He was right next to us cheering us on at the state meet this year,” DeNucci said. The boys’ track team won that meet, and both the runners and fellow coaches agree that Hargis was a major reason why.

“As coaches, we always want to support each other, and there’s nothing greater than witnessing a state championship,” physical education teacher and coach Jack Biggs said. Mr. Biggs appreciates the work Mr. Hargis does for the athletic department, such as when Mr. Hargis got ELHS on the Connecticut Class Act Schools program for the school’s sportsmanship and competitiveness.

And while Mr. Hargis is retiring, he’s not stopping supporting the school, as he intends to stay as the boys’ track coach.

“This is a very supportive, very empathetic school, and I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here. It’s been very unique,” Mr. Hargis said.

Interviews are underway to determine who will be filling in Hargis’s shoes next year. But, Hargis will remain the AD until this school year is over.