Mazziotti to Head Alemany Track Staff

Birmingham High track and cross-country Coach Gary Mazziotti has been hired to coach both sports at Alemany next season, Father Michael Nocita, the school’s principal, announced Monday.

“I never really went after anyone else,” Nocita said. “Once I met Gary and spoke with him, I knew he was right for the job. I’m really fired up about this.”

Mazziotti, 37, led the Braves to their first Mid-Valley League dual-meet title in 20 years this season.

Pat Connelly, a longtime Valley coach, and outgoing Notre Dame Coach Jon Mack will be two of Mazziotti’s assistants, giving Alemany one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the Valley.

“Pat Connelly is a good friend of mine and he recommended Gary to me,” Nocita said.

Connelly is coach of the Valley-based Basin Blues Track Club and has been coaching distance runners for more than 20 years.

Mack, who also will serve as an Alemany football assistant, coached at Notre Dame, his alma mater, for the past eight years and led the Knights to a second-place finish in the boys’ 2-A Division at the Southern Section track championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk last Saturday.