Ken Roberts was hired this week as the first head football coach at O'Brien Tech, which will field its first varsity squad this fall. O'Brien Tech played as part of a co-op with Derby last season. Roberts formerly coached at Newtown.

Here is a press release on the hiring from O'Brien Tech athletic director Dan Nemergut.

The newly-formed Emmett O’Brien Technical High School football team has its first varsity head coach.

Former Newtown High School head coach, Ken Roberts, has been hired as coach by O’Brien Tech, according to a press release from Dan Nemergut, the school’s Athletic Director.

Roberts, who was selected from a strong pool of candidates, is a National Football Foundation High School Coach of the Year for the year of 2006.

“Coach Roberts had a terrific interview,” said Nemergut. “He was the unanimous choice of the hiring committee and brings many years of scholastic football coaching experience to our new program. Plus, being from the area, he understands how important the addition of football is to our school and how significant it is to the Valley.”

Roberts, who left Newtown High in 2007, has been very active recently in all areas of coaching many different sports for the town of Shelton at the recreational level.
“Honestly, I’ve missed coaching high school football and to have an opportunity like this, a start-up program in an area that lives for football, it seemed like the right move,” said Roberts.

The team will compete at the varsity level in the Constitution State Conference next year and will open its existence with a home game versus Seymour High School the first week of the season.

Another highlight will be its Thanksgiving opponent, Platt Tech, a natural rival for O’Brien, being the geographically closest league opponent on the Condors’ schedule.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” said Roberts, “but the enthusiasm I’ve felt from the prospective candidates makes it exciting.”