Exeter’s Ball to step down as AD; will remain as head coach
Exeter's Ball to step down as AD; will remain as head football coach
EXETER — It was the summer of 1978 and Bill Ball had just graduated from Norwich University. He was planning on being a substitute teacher and a volunteer football coach at his alma mater, Melrose High School, in Massachusetts.
His future was forever changed when one day his father, also Bill, went to buy a pair of shoes in downtown Melrose.
Ball’s father ran into an old friend who at the time was living and teaching in Exeter. The friend asked what young Bill was planning to do for work because he knew of a potential opening for a teacher and football coach in Exeter.
The friend made a phone call, which led to another phone call, and then another.
Ultimately, young Bill Ball, then 23 years old, gave up his position at Melrose High School, moved to a one-bedroom apartment on Atlantic Avenue in Hampton Beach and was about to start his job teaching at Exeter Area Junior High School, and serving as the freshman football and freshman boys basketball coach at Exeter High School. The rest is history.
“It’s crazy,” Ball said. “My father doesn’t buy a pair of shoes, I don’t know what I am doing today.”
Bill taught at Exeter Area Junior High for 21 years until being named the Exeter athletic director in 1998.
Ball decides to step down as AD; will remain head football coach
Ball underwent successful quadruple heart bypass surgery last February, and took leave from school for the majority of the remainder of the school year. It is during this time that Ball, who will turn 69 this July, gave serious consideration to stepping down from his position as athletic director at Exeter High School, but he had one condition.
“I wanted one more year as AD, I didn’t want to go out on the sidelines,” said Ball on Tuesday morning, the oneyear anniversary of his surgery.
When last summer rolled around, Ball knew the 2023-24 school year would be his 26th and final year as AD, and he told Exeter High School Principal Mike Monahan about his decision.
“I’ve been here 46 years as a teacher, coach and administrator, it’s been incredibly rewarding, it really has,” Ball said. “It’s been more than a job, it’s been an extended family.
“I am very blessed to have had this opportunity, and I haven’t looked back,” Ball continued. “I remember (my first day) like it was yesterday. Time has gone by quickly.”
Ball replaced Cassandra Donovan as the school’s athletic director in the summer of 1998.
“(Donovan) was wonderful,” Ball said. “I learned a great deal from Cass. She was a great leader and a great administrator. She was a pioneer in Title IX. She taught me so much. I am very much indebted to her.”
Despite his retirement from his AD position, Ball will remain on the sidelines next fall, his 31st as head coach of the Blue Hawks.
“I am not getting any younger, but I feel so much better than I did two years ago,” Ball said. “I am really geared up for football next fall.”
What will Ball miss most about serving as AD?
Ball considers himself more than just an athletic director, saying he will miss the day-to-day interaction with all the students, not just those who choose to play athletics.
“I make it a point to talk and try to help all the students,” Ball said. “I am going to miss the kids stopping by the office saying, ‘Hey coach, do you have a minute?’
“Coaching today, teaching today, it’s about relationships,” Ball continued. “If you have a good relationship with a student-athlete, it’s a good chance that student-athlete is going to work extremely hard for you. They have to know you care about them, that’s essential.”
What will Bill do with his free time?
Once the high school football season concludes sometime in November, Ball and his wife, Laurie, plan to travel and spend more time with their two children — Patty and her family in Ohio, and Billy and his family in Connecticut.
Patty has two children — Chase, 9, and Smith, 7; and Billy has two children, Elle, 9, and Will, 5. Chase and Smith play hockey and baseball, and Elle and Will play basketball and lacrosse. “Poppa,” as Ball is called by his four grandkids, says football will also be played at some point. “No doubt about that,” laughed Poppa.
Ball also sees a month-long winter getaway to Naples, Florida, with Laurie to “get out of the winter a little bit.” Eventually, there will also be a trip to Ireland and a family trip “somewhere.”
Ball says his coaches are ‘second to none'
Ball refers to his all his coaches as being part of his team, and the captain of that team is Kristen Morissette, who has served as Ball’s right-hand assistant from the beginning.
“He’s a mentor, colleague, and most importantly, a friend, more like family,” said Morissette, who worked for Donovan for three years prior to Ball’s arrival. “I’ve learned so many life lessons from him, and we’ve worked really well together. He had trust in me to handle the day-to-day activities in the athletic office, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
“He improved my vocabulary and grammar, and I helped him with texting, e-mails and Zooms,” Morissette laughed. “Happy for his retirement but will miss him in the office.”
Ball said having good coaches on board, across all sports, has always helped alleviate a great deal of pressure from his duties.
“All you have to do is look in the gym and see all the banners,” Ball said. “It’s not all about those wins, it’s about how the teams behave, how they represent the school, their families, and themselves. Those are the special moments that I’ll remember.”
Coaches speak on Ball – the ‘legend, mentor'
Jeff Holmes has coached the Exeter boys basketball team for the past 27 years, leading the Blue Hawks to the 2019 Division I state championship.
“Coach Ball has been a tremendous athletic director and friend,” Holmes said. “His relationships with the Exeter High School community and the town of Exeter is truly amazing. He is a legend, and we will miss him.”
Deb Grott has been the Exeter field hockey coach for the past 21 years, winning Division I state titles in 2013, 2021 and 2022. She calls Ball the benchmark for all other ADs.
“His dedication to his student-athletes is evident not only on the playing fields, but in the classroom and life as well,” Grott said. “Not only is Coach Ball my AD, but he’s my mentor.”
Bruce Joyce has coached baseball at Exeter since 2008, the last two seasons as head coach after serving as assistant to longtime head coach Kevin McQueen.
“Coach Ball has been a great mentor to me since I came here,” Joyce said. “I can’t thank him enough for all the advice and support he has given me over the years. His strong, consistent leadership as our AD has been outstanding. He’s helped shape the lives of countless coaches and student-athletes during his career. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have been a coach for him.”
Dan Curran, who has served as head coach of the Exeter boys soccer team for the past five years, had Ball as his freshman boys basketball coach when he was at Exeter.
“He has forever been ‘Coach’ to me,” Curran said. “He has, and will always be, someone who you strive to do your best for. I know I speak for a host of others when I say it’s a great responsibility to carry on and continue to build on what makes Exeter athletics so special and to carry on the legacy of what he has given his entire life to building. He challenged me in ways that made me a better coach, but he taught me so many more things that made me an even better person.”
Paul DiMarino has coached freshman football, boys hockey and boys lacrosse at Exeter for the past eight years. He has served as head hockey coach the past five years.
“Coach Ball is one of the best human beings I’ve ever come across in my lifetime,” DiMarino said. “He’s incredibly kind and caring and will do anything he can to help others out. He has been unbelievably supportive of myself and all of those who have coached underneath him. He’s always there to provide guidance or give advice when needed. I’ve been incredibly lucky to learn from him and grow underneath his leadership these last eight years.”
Fellow ADs sought out Ball for guidance
Kevin Hebert has served as athletic director at Spaulding High School for the past 14 years. And like Ball, Hebert is also the school’s football coach. When situations arose where Hebert needed some advice, he always turned to Ball.
“Coach Ball is certainly a special individual,” Hebert said. “His record speaks for itself as far as wins and losses, but one of the things we all take from him is that it is all about doing the right thing for the kids. For me, he’s been a tremendous mentor.”
Tom Kosikowski is in his fifth year as the Portsmouth High School athletic director and was named Division I AD of the Year for the 2021-22 school year.
“I always feel like coach Ball was in my corner for advice, friendship and support,” Kosikowski said. “It didn’t matter what school I worked for. He has always been so welcoming, and that mentorship is what I’ll miss. I’m sure you can ask most athletic directors in the state, and they would say the same thing. He’s had a great run and deserves nothing but the best in retirement.”
Who will replace Ball as athletic director?
Exeter High School principal Mike Monahan has worked with Ball for the past 22 years, and said the school put on an “exhaustive search” with more than 50 applicants for Exeter’s new AD.
Cathy Clermont, who has served as Exeter High School vice principal since 2017, emerged from the applicant pool and will be put forward for School Board approval on March 19.
“She’ll do a terrific job,” Ball said. “She’s a grinder and a worker. She’ll do a fine job.”
Monahan said Ball has made an impact on all students at Exeter High School.
“What he’s meant to the kids at Exeter High School is hard to put into words,” Monahan said. “Obviously, he was super impactful as a coach and in the athletic side of things, but he was also incredibly impactful in our general school community and students, not just student-athletes.”
Retirement is fast approaching
With the end of the winter sports season near, and the spring season fast approaching, Ball knows his days as AD are winding down. He will leave his office for the final time as AD on Friday, June 28.
“It’s been a good run,” Ball said. “I’ve worked with a lot of great people and made a lot of great friendships. You learn a lot from people. I can’t say enough about all the people I’ve encountered over my 46 years here.”