Hillhouse coach Tom Dyer appointed athletic director at Hamden, Reggie Lytle named interim coach of Academics

By Joe Morelli, Register Staffjmorelli@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrJoeMorelli

Tom Dyer will become the new athletic director at Hamden, replacing Jeanne Cooper, who retired in June.

Dyer, 34, served as co-athletic facilitator at Hillhouse from 2007-13 and the head football coach the last six years, two of them culminating in Class M state football championships (2010 and 2012).

“I’m extremely excited about the new opportunity and looking forward to meeting all of the coaches and student-athletes,” Dyer said. “But I’m also sad about leaving a great program.”

Dyer went 51-17 in his six seasons with the Academics. He also served as an assistant coach at Hillhouse from 2001-06.
“We are very happy to have Tom Dyer in the district as athletic director,” Hamden principal Gary Highsmith said. “He has a great track record, is a successful coach. He’s very enthusiastic and he’s a winner. I think our superintendent (Fran Rabinowitz) made a very, very wise choice.”

Said Dyer: “It was a very tough decision to leave the Hillhouse football program and those kids.”

The Academics also appeared in the Class M semifinals in 2008.

“It’s wonderful for Tommy. Hamden got a quality guy,” New Haven citywide athletic director Joe Canzanella said. “He will do very well in Hamden.”

Canzanella said Reggie Lytle, an assistant on Dyer’s staff, was promoted to interim head coach Wednesday. He has held several positions in his three years as an assistant and he is current;y the president of New Haven’s Pop Warner foootball program.