Pope John Paul II headmaster Faustin Weber announced on Monday that Al Mila will be the school’s third athletic director, following Rocky Zazzaro, who resigned in late May.  

Mila is being elevated from his current position as math teacher and head soccer coach at the school.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Mila said. “and excited to work with our talented coaching staff to help all of our athletic programs continue to build the legacy and tradition of JPII Athletics. My goal will be to help meet the needs of each program, so that our student athletes can have success both on the field and in fulfilling the mission of JPII.”

“When you have young talent on your staff, you invest in it, or one day, someone else will,” Weber said, explaining his choice to hire from within.

“Alan has been an outstanding member of our faculty and coaching staff for seven years. Even as a first-year teacher, he carried himself with such poise that my predecessor named him our head boys’ soccer coach.

“The program has thrived ever since, despite playing one of the most challenging schedules in Tennessee. As a teacher, he’s earned the praise and trust of math department chair Betty Mayberry, our students and our parents. He has outstanding ‘people’ skills, but he’s also a detail guy and a wiz with technology. I believe he will be a smart, dynamic leader for our athletic program as we move into our second decade as a school.”

 Mila was a two-sport athlete and musician in high school in west Chicago, finishing as an all-state soccer player and honor graduate. He attended Illinois Wesleyan University on a music scholarship and played soccer. He was named all-conference twice and graduated with a degree in mathematics. He then enrolled in the University of Notre Dame’s “Alliance for Catholic Education,” serving out a two-year teaching practicum at JPII as part of earning the Master’s degree, and was hired by JPII immediately thereafter.

Mila will relinquish his duties in the classroom in his new role, but intends to continue coaching the boys’ program in the spring.

— From Staff Reports