From 439 miles away in Ohio,  Susquehannock’s new Athletic Director Matthew Blandin comes this way for more than just ‘work’;  he comes to inspire the minds of Susquehannock’s athletes.

One of the main factors that led Blandin to come to Susquehannock was the community and sports traditions.

“There is a lot of tradition I could tell,” Blandin said. “There is a lot of connectedness between the teams and coaches, and everyone wants to pitch in and be a part of helping everyone succeed….and that is really unique to Susky as far as that type of culture. I’ve been here a week, and I’ve already noticed and appreciated that.”

Having local connections also helped make the move more enticing.

“My wife’s family is in the Hanover area, so we were looking for different opportunities that were around to move closer to my family, which is in Ohio, or moving closer to her family,” Blandin said. 

Transitions are not always easy, though. Especially for Blandin during the busiest time in the sports seasons, according to Principal James Sterner.

 “It is a hectic time, which makes it beneficial that he’s got 19 years of experience doing busy work like here,” Sterner said.  “As with any job, it’s learning the new systems and learning our fields, our processes, and our coaches. He has described it as drinking out of a fire hose, and while that’s stressful, I hope as a team we are providing him with plenty of support, encouragement, and laughs, so we are able to work through those challenges.” 

As far as improvements to the Susquehannock athletic program, Blandin wants to continue to build upon the foundation that is here.

“I’m just seeing how everything is running and the systems in place,” Blandin said. “I’m hoping to help things run a little more smoothly and efficiently, but also continue to grow a culture within the athletic department.”

But Blandin is not the only one who wants to make improvements with his new arrival, Assistant athletic director William Kerr is just as excited to work with Blandin.

“ I think he can improve our athletic department by providing his 19 years of experience as an athletic director, so he will definitely bring new ideas and insights,” Kerr said. “I’m excited to get to know him better. I think his leadership style is something the kids are going to love because he’s very passionate but very lowkey, and I think that’s a great asset for his position.”

When it comes to their systems in Susky and improvements, Sterner knows Blandin has what it takes.

“Mr.Blandin comes with a plethora of experience, both in public and private settings, prior to coming to us. and from being in those different schools,” Sterner said. “He comes with a lot of ideas of things that worked and things that maybe didn’t work. And I think as a new member of our school, administrative team and the leader of our athletic programs, his creative thinking and his experience are going to give us a lot of new opportunities and fresh ideas to continue to grow what is already a very successful program.”

Blandin is uniquely qualified for this position. 

“I’ve been involved in schools that were small, starting athletic departments, building athletic departments from scratch to well-established athletic departments, and everything in between,” Blandin said. “I’ve been athletic director, a coach, I’ve also been a league commissioner, a league president, and all those combined opportunities make me unique in that regard.”

Blandin grew up in Ohio and is a graduate of Taylor University in Indiana, where he began his coaching career after playing football for the university. He then earned his Master of Athletic Administration from Bowling Green State University, along with a Certified Athletic Association designation. His first job was starting the athletic department at a private high school in California, and before coming here, he had moved back to East Ohio, where he had spent the last 14 years in public and private schools in athletic administration. 

Blandin is excited to see success, even in a multi-faceted way.

“I like winning,” Blandin said. “At the same time, just seeing student athletes succeeding, whether it was a win or learning from those losses. Ultimately, that is what I look forward to seeing: student-athletes try sports for the first time and having that lightbulb go off that they get it, and they understand it, and they are having fun.”

Blandin plans to inspire students by giving them the sports experience he had.

“Making sure everybody feels valued and we have a lot of fun at the end of the day, that’s my end goal: have fun,” Blandin said. “What excites me is students having an athletic experience that they can talk about for years to come.”

Blandin’s only worry is his favorite football team.

“I am a Buckeyes fan through and through, so I realize I’m outnumbered now in a Pennsylvania versus Ohio, but other than that, I’m pretty much set,” Blandin said.