Eric Silverman file
Age: 33
Residence: Liberty Township
Wife: Erin
High school: Mason, Class of 2002
College: Ohio University, bachelor's degree in sports management in 2006, master's degree in athletic administration in 2010
Work experience: Intern, Ohio High School Athletic Association, one year (2006-07); administrative assistant to the athletic director, Mason High School, three years (2007-08 to 2009-10); assistant athletic director, Mason High School, three years (2010-11 t0 2012-13); athletic director, Eaton High School, three years (2013-14 to 2015-16)
Eric Silverman doesn’t just want to hear about how Monroe High School athletes are doing. He wants to see them with his own eyes.
He’s been getting his feet wet as Monroe’s new athletic director this summer and will officially take those reins Monday, having spent the last three years in the same position at Eaton.
“You’ll see me everywhere,” Silverman said. “I think that’s so important. So often as athletic directors, we’re behind the computer or we’re in meetings. To have the opportunity to be out watching our student-athletes, that’s the best part of the day.”
Silverman is a Mason native who is replacing Jesse Catanzaro at the helm of the Monroe athletic deparment.
Catanzaro was the AD for two years, and he’s still a Hornet. He begins his new job as the district’s director of operations and human resources Monday.
“The life of an AD is one that I loved. I didn’t have any negatives,” Catanzaro said. “I didn’t have any intentions of leaving the athletic world and did not apply for this position in the original posting. When they went back to the drawing board, I thought it was something I really needed to look at.
“I love this district and all the people I work with. It’s great to remain in the district and still have an opportunity to take a step forward.
“From my vantage point, we’ve got some exciting things going on in our district. We’re finishing the demolition of the old high school. Our numbers are increasing. It’s going to be exciting to see this continue to grow. It’s a good place to be.”
Catanzaro still plans to get out and watch Monroe teams compete.
“When we started talking about this opportunity and transition, my wife’s first statement to me was, ‘Oh, we can sit together at football games now,’ ” he said. “It’s kind of been a way of life for us. I’m not punching out at 3 o’clock every day and leaving the district. If that’s what I had to do, I don’t know that I would’ve made this change.
“I can tell you this: Eric has a very, very good perspective on the athletic world and all of the things that go into that. He is definitely poised to be successful and has the strength and skills to do that.”
Monroe and Eaton compete in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division. Silverman, 33, said the schools and communities are very similar.
He did do some driving during his time at Eaton. Silverman lives in Liberty Township.
“While the drives at times were a little distant, it certainly was a nice opportunity for me to just simply think,” he said. “I enjoyed all of my experiences at Eaton. We had a tremendous group of coaches and administrators. There was constant communication.”
Silverman said communication is the key to athletic department success. He’s a big believer in social media and will be active in that area.
“I think everything’s an evaluation process,” Silverman said. “Every job has its unique characteristics. Things are in great shape here, and we’re going to continue to build on that. I don’t see any reason to make any wholesale changes if the systems are working.”
Silverman has never been a high school coach, though he doesn’t consider that to be a negative. He believes that allows him to deal with coaches objectively.
“If you ask any of the coaches I’ve worked with, they’re going to tell you I’m very fair,” Silverman said. “I have a genuine respect and love for all of our student-athletes and activities. I often describe an athletic department as a family, and each sport is like a child within that family. They all have different sets of needs. For me, what’s most important is meeting the needs of each of those programs.”
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