George French was unanimously approved by the nine-member Derby Board of Education to be the next football coach at Derby/O’Brien Tech.

French, who served as the Red Raiders’ defensive coordinator this past season, replaces Carmen DiCenso, who retired at the end of the 2009 season after compiling a 4-6 in the co-op's first year in the Naugatuck Valley League.

The seven-member selection committee, which included Derby athletic director Joe Orazietti and BOE member Andrew Mancini, nominated French, who played football and baseball for the Red Raiders, to be the school’s next coach.

“It was a committee decision,” Orazietti said. “We felt he was the best candidate, the best fit for Derby. He’s an outstanding young man. He came up through the system. I think he’s going to be a good fit.”

Board of Education member Kim Krieger, whose son Ray, a sophomore, is the co-op’s starting quarterback, applauded the committee for its thorough selection process.

“The process was comprehensive,” Krieger said. “The committee did a tremendous job in pulling out a highly qualified candidate. We wish Mr. French tremendous success, and lots of luck here. We think he’s going to do a fine job for this program.”

DiCenso, who coached for six seasons starting in 2004, said he suggested French to Orazietti when DiCenso announced his retirement. However, DiCenso was not apart of the selection committee.

“As I told Joe I was retiring,” DiCenso said, “he wanted to know if I wanted to name anyone to take over and I told him George. He’s very knowledgeable, and very dedicated, and I think he deserves a chance to be the head coach.”

From a press release sent by the school today:

Fairfield Prep is pleased to announce Tom Shea, current English teacher and past freshman and JV football coach, has been selected as the new head varsity coach. Tom has taught English at Prep since 2005, following a successful business career as founder and chief business executive for several communications ventures.

Tom played football for Fairfield Prep and Harvard University, where he received his B.A. He continued his studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science where he earned a Master of Sciences.

Tom met with enthusiastic Prep students on January 20 to talk about his new position and the coming season: "I am honored and proud to be named just the 8th coach in Prep football history, and I look forward to working with our young men to revitalize our winning traditions. I feel we have the talent to be a good football team, but it is up to the players and their level of commitment and dedication to determine when that will be."

Former Xavier standout Will Tye recently gave an oral committed to play football at Florida St.

Tye, who caught 44 passes, including six touchdowns, at the prep school Sailsbury this past fall, also considered Penn. St., LSU, Iowa and Miami.

"I went down to visit last week and I like what I saw," said the 6-foot-3, 230 pound Tye.

Tye, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, is projected to be a tight end for Seminoles’ coach Jimbo Fisher, who will begin his first year at Florida St. this fall after replacing legendary coach Bobby Bowden, who retired at the end of this past season.