Anthony Amero has decided to step down as athletic director of Forest Hills High School. Amero, who has been at the Jackman-based school since 1997, will continue to teach and remains the head coach of the school’s boys basketball team. Kennebec Journal file photo by Joe Phelan

Anthony Amero is stepping down as athletic director at Forest Hills High School.

But no worries, Tigers fans, he’s not leaving the hardwood any time soon.

Amero, 52, who has worked and coached for the Jackman-based school since 1997, will remain as both a teacher and the head coach of the boys basketball team.

“I originally taught middle school and high school,” Amero said. “As (the school district has) gotten smaller, I now teach grades 2-12, and I now teach two courses through Central Maine Community College, criminal justice and sociology, for our upperclassmen. That will continue, and coaching basketball, knock on wood, will continue.

“(Being athletic director) is just 26 years of being married to your phone, seven days a week,” Amero said. “It’s just time to take a break from that. You always think, ‘When is it a good time to do it?’ But I’ve got good coaches that are returning for multiple years, no new coaches on staff. My principal has been there for seven or eight years. Everybody in the building is pretty much intact and in good shape. Our numbers (for sports) are great for participation. We’ve got 25 signed up for cross country, 15 signed up for golf. That’s for a school of 44 kids. It’s just a good time to step back and get a little more personal time.”

Amero said multiple candidates have applied for the position, but was not at liberty to identify who has applied.

Amero has led the Tigers to seven Class D finals, winning the Gold Ball on four occasions, the latest in 2020. The Tigers have won the Class D South title each of the past two seasons, falling to Southern Aroostook in the state title game on both occasions. Amero also serves as an assistant under head coach Bob Manix with the school’s girls basketball team.

Serving multiple roles has been a constant for Amero during his years at Forest Hills.

“One of my good friends is (athletic director) Gary Stevens at Thornton Academy,” Amero said. “I talked to Gary last week on the phone. And we were talking about, whether you’re at Thornton or you’re in Jackman, the school is going to get their money’s worth out of you. It’s a grind throughout the year. Usually, you’ve got to be (at the school) from 6 a.m., and if you have an event, you’re there until eight or nine at night. It takes up a lot of time. … I’m also responsible (for sports) for grades five through eight. Anything like that is something that’d be on my plate. There’s some other administrative duties that come along with it, whether you have to cover the office when the administrator or the principal is out, something of that nature. I also work with the student council, this was my 25th year with student council, and I really enjoy that.”

Amero noted his wife, Ami, a history teacher at Forest Hills, has stayed just as busy over the years, working with several clubs within the school.

“She’s doing book club, yoga club, movie night, National Honor Society, math team,” Amero said. “She’s got 37 kids on her math team. So she’s doing all those clubs, too. … That’s a lot of nights, when you string them all together.”

Amero said he’s proud of the success Forest Hills has had in athletics during his tenure as athletic director.

“I’ve been pretty proud of the fact that, whether it’s sportsmanship, first place conference (awards), first place regional or first place states, we’ve put 58 banners on the wall in those 26 years,” Amero said. “For a school our size, that’s a pretty good run, I think.”