When Sean Dolaghan stepped down as Harrison’s head baseball coach due to his growing family, he anticipated the possibility of returning to high school athletics when his two children got older.
Nine years later, that opportunity presented itself for the Harrison native. On June 23, Dolaghan was formally approved as the school’s athletic director. Dolaghan officially took over the job this past Friday, replacing Kim Huaranga, who after 10 years in the position, became a vice principal in the town’s Early Childhood Program.
“I was always interested in finding my way back to sports,” Dolaghan said. “I always hoped that maybe when the kids got older, I would come back to coaching. But once Kim let us know that she was taking a different position, I jumped on the opportunity to be the next AD.”
As a math teacher at Washington Middle School, Dolaghan has remained quite familiar with the athletics program and the coaches and players that have been a part of it. His first order of business is reaching out to those coaches as summer leagues and offseason practices start in earnest.
“I definitely want to get in touch with my coaches after the Fourth of July. I’m going to reach out to all of them,” Dolaghan said. “I know almost all of them. Ray Lucas, Mike Rusek and Nick Landy I’m very close with. Jose Camano, Barry Mattern were former players of mine.”
Dolaghan, a Lyndhurst resident, has remained involved in athletics on the youth level during this time, coaching his 10-year-old son Jake’s Little League baseball and travel basketball teams, while also helping out as a soccer coach for his 8-year-old daughter Quinn.
“My kids were probably more excited than anybody,” Dolaghan said. “I think my two kids wanted me to get the job more than anyone I know.”
Before stepping aside as head baseball coach, Dolaghan led the Blue Tide to consecutive Hudson County Tournament quarterfinals appearances. During that time, they upset perennial power St. Peter’s Prep in the first round in 2011. Then, a year later, Harrison knocked off defending champion Hoboken, which was led by First Team All-State pitcher Kenny Roder, 1-0, in the first round.
Despite going to Queen of Peace High School, Harrison athletics were a key part of Dolaghan’s youth. He always made an attempt to see his friends in action and remembers watching Ray Lucas and Jody Hill play basketball in front of sold out crowds.
“Even though I didn’t attend Harrison High School, all of my best friends still lived in Harrison so I went to all of their games when I could,” said Dolaghan. “They’re all reaching out to me, supporting me, saying anything I need, they’re going to be there for me.
“Former students of mine who now play in college or played in college I want to bring them all back and get them involved. I want to get the whole community involved. I want to work closely with the rec center and I want to get the whole town involved.”
While the boys’ soccer and boys’ volleyball teams remain among the best in the state, many of the school’s other programs have struggled in recent years. In addition to building relationships with the town’s rec programs, Dolaghan plans to place an emphasis on generating interest and enthusiasm within the building.
“I want to try to get more kids in the high school to play sports and be more involved. I just want to get the kids excited about sports again,” he said. “Even the kids who don’t play sports, I want the students to come out and support the student-athletes. Just bring more positivity, have more kids coming to the games.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)