March 18 - Mike Colangelo, a former Major Leaguer who attended C.D. Hylton High School and George Mason University, has been named as the first head coach at Charles J. Colgan High School, which will open this fall in Manassas.
Colangelo was a standout at Hylton and George Mason before playing three years with the Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics from 1999-2002, hitting .233 in 129 career at-bats. He also hit .298 in eight minor league seasons, compiling 16 home runs in both 2004 and 2005 with Albuquerque (N.M.) of the Triple A Pacific Coast League before retiring in 2006.
The 39 year-old has since operated Colangelo Baseball in Prince William County, and served as a board member and coach with Stars Showcase Baseball and the Virginia Stars travel program.
Colgan High School is named after the former Virginia State Senator, who held his office for four decades and was the longest-tenured senator in state history before retiring in June 2014. He is a World War II veteran and established and owned Colgan Air, a regional air service that he sold in 2007.
The school’s mascot will be the Sharks, and Colangelo said they would affiliate with the 6A South Region in Conference 4 - joining Colonial Forge, Forest Park, Freedom-Woodbridge, Gar-Field, Hylton, Riverbend and Woodbridge. He was hired by the school’s Athletics Director, former Woodbridge principal Dave Huckstein.
“It has been my dream to give back to the community and I feel this is a chance to follow kids to classes and really be proactive in kid’s lives,” Colangelo said. “I also feel this will give me a better appreciation and stage to help bring schools together as one rather than opponents.”
One of Colangelo’s brothers, Sal, is the Athletics Director at Hylton, and another, Paul, is the former junior varsity coach at Hylton.
Colgan, Prince William County’s 12th high school, will not have any seniors in their first year in 2016-17. Colangelo’s team will have its hands full, as the conference is one of the better leagues in the state, and will have a difficult path through the region, which features traditional Virginia Beach and Tidewater area baseball powers such as First Colonial, Kellam and Western Branch, as well as Richmond-area power James River.
"I think a lot of people will think of the baseball expertise that Mike will bring with him to Colgan, but I think he will make an even bigger impact on the lives of the young men that play for him," said Osbourn Park coach Jack Ferrick. "I met Mike when I was 14 years old and he always been there to mentor me and help me through every situation in my life. From teaching me how to load and stride to changing diapers.
"He truly cares about all the kids that he coaches, and wants them all to be successful. Some will be successful in baseball, but he will make sure that all will be successful in life."
Photos courtesy of Getty Images and the San Diego Padres
