Chelsea High School director of athletics Frank DePatto announced this week that Jack Halas has been appointed as the new head coach of the CHS football team.
Halas, an assistant football coach at CHS for the past six years, succeeds Michael Stellato as the leader of the Red Devils’ football program that competes in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference Small Division.
“Jack brings a lot of experience and he’s committed to building a strong foundation and moving the program in the right direction,” said DePatto. “We’re very happy to have Jack on board as our head football coach.”
The Halas name is well known in the Chelsea community and represents an excellence in sports ranging from basketball and football to baseball, fast pitch softball, and even candlepin bowling (Jack’s cousin, Richie Halas, is a Candlepin Bowling Hall of Fame inductee).
Halas, 34, played football and baseball at Savio Prep in East Boston and at Hamilton College in New York. He was a Catholic Central League All-Star athlete at Savio and played four years in the Hamilton baseball program.
Halas has met with some of the returning CHS players and he’s looking forward to beginning practices August 24 for the 2015 season. The Red Devils open their season Sept. 11 versus Lynn Tech.
“We have 48 players and that doesn’t include the incoming freshmen. The players are excited. I’m excited. I’m in the process of selecting my staff of assistant coaches who will be former Red Devils.”
One of the interesting matchups on the CHS schedule is a game against former Greater Boston League rival Revere High on Sept. 18 at the brand new Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere.
“I’m confident that I can lead the program to great heights,” said Halas. “We’re looking to restore some of the pride back in the football p
Jack Halas
rogram and the city. We not only want to develop good football players but also respectful young men.”
Halas said he will be reaching out to leaders of the Chelsea Pride and Chelsea Pop Warner youth football organizations. “I will help those organizations in any way I can and strengthen our relationship with those programs.”
Halas, who served as defensive coordinator on Michael Stellato’s staff, said about his former coaching colleague, “Mike was a great guy and it was a pleasure to work with him in the program.”