NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Raymond L. Rhett Jr., an assistant varsity football coach at New Rochelle High School, was appointed as the team’s head coach tonight by the New Rochelle Board of Education.
Rhett has 19 years of experience as coach in various sports – football, basketball, softball and track and field. Since 2017, he has served as an assistant coach for the varsity football team, a post he also held from 2001 to 2004. He served on the coaching staff that led the football Huguenots to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse for the past two years, coming home with the state championship last November.
“We are excited to have Coach Rhett take on the role of head coach for our championship team,” said Superintendent Dr. Laura Feijóo. “We embarked on a rigorous selection process to fill this position, and Coach Rhett emerged as the candidate with the right skills and attitude. He has been an integral part of the team’s leadership during its phenomenal performance in recent years. That, and his understanding of the importance of academics as well as athletics, make him the right fit.”
The Board made the appointment tonight at its meeting at Jefferson Elementary School.
“I look forward to the challenge and the opportunity and to continuing to build the program,” Rhett said. “It starts in the off-season with a focus on academics and in the weight room. We’re focusing on having the student athletes grow academically and become stronger and faster.”
Rhett commands the respect of the students on the team and in his physical education classes, said District Director of Athletics Steve Young.
“He’s a role model to both athletes and non-athletes,” Young said. “The students have a lot of respect for him. He’s a good person and a good family man. Ever since I arrived in the District, he has been nothing but friendly and a true professional. I am very happy for Ray and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”
Even before the varsity football team’s recent successes, Rhett showed himself to be a skilled coach.
“He’s very competitive, very intense,” Young said. “He did a great job as head coach of the junior varsity football team. They were a very successful team, having three consecutive undefeated seasons.”
Rhett has served as a physical education teacher and coach with the District since 2001. His previous positions include head coach of the modified track and field, and softball programs at Albert Leonard Middle School, assistant varsity track and field coach at NRHS, head coach of the NRHS junior varsity basketball team and junior varsity football team.
Previously, he was a physical education teacher in the Bronx and Rochester.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Movement in Sport Science from the Physical Education Teacher Program of Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Health Education from Lehman College in the Bronx, and an additional 60 credits from College of Saint Rose.
Nice work, Bob.
Coach Rhett is a great guy and the right man for the job, I believe.