HOULTON, Maine — A new, yet familiar face for RSU 29 athletics is expected to be named as the district’s new athletic director.
Jon Solomon, Houlton’s varsity football coach, confirmed Thursday, July 29, that he has accepted the position of full-time athletic director for the district. His appointment will become official Monday, Aug. 2, at the regularly scheduled meeting of the RSU 29 school board.
Solomon takes over for Phlatt McLean, who spent less than one school year in that position after he was appointed to the job in June 2020. McLean resigned from the post in April, citing a need to leave the area for family reasons.
Solomon filled in as the interim athletic director from April to June.
“I’m excited,” Solomon said. “Being an athletic director is just another form of coaching. You have to serve as a mentor for the coaching staff, and put them in positions to be successful and supported.”
One of his goals as the full-time athletic director is to increase student participation in the sports programs at RSU 29. He also plans to work closely with the music department, since that falls under the purview of the Maine Principals’ Association.
His position as varsity football coach will remain unchanged at least for the 2021 season, given the short amount of time before the start of the season. The district typically does not allow administrators to serve as coaches.
“We are essentially two weeks away from starting practices [for football],” Solomon said. “It would be awfully hard to find someone new to come in that quickly. We will reevaluate whether I continue after this season.”
RSU 29 did a similar process with current high school principal Tim Tweedie when he was named as the assistant principal in 2018.
With RSU 29, Solomon has worn many hats. He has been a middle school basketball coach, assistant basketball coach for both the varsity boys and girls teams at different times, was the junior varsity baseball coach for four years and served as the junior varsity boys basketball coach last winter. Solomon said he will not be continuing in any of those coaching positions.
Solomon came to Houlton in 2016 from Bucksport. He was hired as an assistant coach for the Houlton football program, and worked as an educational technician in the high school. He was born and raised in Massachusetts and attended the University of Maine at Orono where he played football.
Recently, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in general studies from Southern New Hampshire University.
