Pelham athletic director Joe Tooms resigns; board seeks interim to review 80-team program

The Pelham Union Free School District announced at its March 25 Board of Education meeting that athletic director Joe Tooms has submitted his resignation to take a position in another district. The superintendent read portions of Tooms’ letter, which said the decision "comes with a great deal of reflection and gratitude" and pledged to support a thorough transition.

Administrators told trustees they had been told Tooms will leave for a larger program in his home district after three years in Pelham. The superintendent recommended the district bring in an interim athletic director for the year — ideally someone recently retired or with direct experience — to maintain operations and perform an objective program analysis.

The superintendent noted Pelham fields approximately 80 teams, a scale larger than typical districts of comparable size, and said the analysis should identify staffing needs, supervision considerations and program priorities. The interim director would be expected to ‘‘jump in and really kind of keep things moving in a positive direction’’ and later present findings and recommendations to the board.

Administrators said they plan to send a community notice about the transition and aim to have interim coverage in place before the end of the school year so planning for summer and fall athletics can proceed.

No formal timeline for a permanent search was announced in the transcript; administrators said they will work on transition logistics and return with recommendations.