Ouellet the interim AD at Lowell High

LOWELL >> Scott Ouellet has been named the interim athletic director at Lowell High School, a source told The Sun.

Last week, the school’s athletic director, Dave Lezenski, was placed on leave. Sources within the athletic department are unsure of Lezenski’s status.

Ouellet is one of the best known cross country and track coaches in the state. A 1997 graduate of Lowell High, he has been coaching at the school for the past 22 years.

When reached Wednesday afternoon, Ouellet declined to comment. But a source said Ouellet is excited to keep the athletic department moving forward.

Under Ouellet and former head coach Phil Maia, Lowell High has sported one of the most successful boys cross country programs in Massachusetts. He was an assistant under Maia for 15 seasons and has been the head coach for the last seven.

Ouellet has guided the Red Raiders to 128 consecutive Merrimack Valley Conference dual meet victories, an impressive accomplishment especially given how strong the league is.

During Ouellet’s coaching tenure, the Red Raiders have won nine Division 1 titles and three All-state championships in cross country. Ouellet has also served as an indoor track coach in the winter and an outdoor track coach in the spring, many of those years as head coach.

Lowell High has also experienced a tremendous amount of success in boys indoor and outdoor track since Ouellet joined the staff, winning three state titles and five indoor championships. Before he suffered some injuries, Ouellet could be seen in the summer running the streets of Lowell with the LHS athletes to prepare them for the fall season.

He is a 43-year-old Lowell resident. Ouellet is also a physical education teacher at LHS.

When Lezenski was placed on leave, the school turned to David Slattery, the physical education and health director at LHS, to help run the athletic department. Slattery did so for a few days, but Ouellet took over Wednesday.

No one within the athletic department seems to know what the investigation into Lezenski will produce or his status.