Mr. John O’Hara ’02 recently has been new head coach for both the men’s and women’s track and field teams. Coach O’Hara answered a reporter’s questions about his new role. This is an edited version of his responses.

Q: What are you most excited about regarding this new coaching position?

A: I’ve been coaching many on the women’s team for about four years now. I’m just excited to continue to do that with our staff.

Q: What are both your immediate and long-range goals for the teams?

A: Immediate goals are continue to grow our numbers. We usually have over 100 athletes between the men’s and women’s team. I would love to see that grow more. We would like to keep winning City titles on both sides and advance as many athletes as we can in the tourney.

Q: What is your background as a high school and/or college athlete? How will you apply that experience to your coaching?

A: I played football and ran track at Cathedral High School. I think learning from my coaches in high school and my fellow coaches over the past 13 years has helped me immensely.

Q: Have any of the freshmen, sophomores or juniors on the team communicated with you about this coaching change? What has been their reaction?

A: I have had a few reach out to me with some basic questions, but the reaction has been positive.

Q: What is your role at Cathedral other than serving as a head coach? How will you balance your coaching and teaching duties?

A: I also teach IB and AP Psychology. Having a balance is very important to me. Luckily we have an amazing support system here at Cathedral.

Q: Have you received any guidance or input from the previous head coach of the women’s track team? If so, what? How will you apply that input to your coaching?

A: Coach Doc and I have always had a good rapport. I know I will rely on him this season and beyond.

Q: With a different coach comes changes. What will be one or two of those changes the athletes on your team will notice right away?

A: We will have some shuffling of roles amongst the staff. We are trying to put our athletes in the best position possible, and I think we have a bright future for all. There will be some changes to the uniform in order to have the men’s and women’s teams be more consistent.

Q: What is it like to know that you will coach a team on which you participated as a member of the Cathedral High School Class of 2002?

A: I had such a positive experience running track at Cathedral, and I am hoping to create the same environment for our athletes as well.