Portsmouth Abbey School is pleased to announce Chris Milmoe as its next athletics director. Milmoe, who currently serves that same role at Drew School in San Francisco, CA, will join the Abbey faculty in July 2022. This announcement concludes a nationwide search to replace retiring Athletics Director Alfred Brown.
 
Milmoe's athletic career began in high school at Lawrence Academy where he was a 12-season varsity letter winner. After graduating from East Carolina University with a B.A. in history, he proceeded to work as a coach and athletics administrator at the independent school and collegiate level, including stops at Choate Rosemary Hall and Holderness School. He received his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Plymouth State University.
  
Milmoe brings a wealth of experience to his new position at Portsmouth Abbey. His achievements include managing an interscholastic athletics program with 22 sports and over 50 teams, serving as president of an athletics conference, and developing health and wellness programs. Some of the major projects he has undertaken include writing an interscholastic coaching handbook, designing a standard hiring and evaluation process for coaches and spearheading a $15-million-dollar athletics facility renovation. In addition, Chris also has extensive experience in coaching lacrosse, football, wrestling, softball and volleyball. "Throughout my career as an educator," he notes, "I have seen the transformative power of athletics. Collaborating with teammates and engaging in healthy competition are learning tools as powerful as term papers and tests. A vibrant athletic program is crucial for a successful independent school." 
 
Prior to joining Portsmouth Abbey, Milmoe spent two years at Drew School, an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco, CA. There he led the athletics department, developing programming during remote and hybrid learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, he built the livestreaming program and created the sports broadcasting club for students to do play-by-play. He also coached golf, volleyball and girls' lacrosse, while increasing student participation in athletics from 72% to 85%. Milmoe previously served as the director of athletics at Cincinnati Country Day School, where he developed a program that was inclusive across all three divisions and led to two team state championships, twelve individual state championships and numerous regional and district championships. 
 
Milmoe says he feels drawn to Portsmouth Abbey due to his alignment with the School Mission Statement and Vision Statement. He looks forward to working "at a place where spirituality and empathy are celebrated."
 
Dean of Faculty Aileen Baker commented, "It was abundantly clear from my first phone call with Chris that his enthusiasm for athletics as an extension of the classroom was second to none. His joy, positive energy and dedication to our Benedictine mission will be felt throughout our entire campus.  We are honored and blessed to welcome Chris to our Raven community."
 
Head of School Matt Walter followed, "Chris comes to Portsmouth Abbey at an important juncture. Thanks to the solid foundation established by predecessors such as John McCauley and Al Brown, Chris will have the opportunity to raise our athletic profile in New England while ensuring that we remain true to the multi-sport scholar-athlete and to the reputation of good sportsmanship for which we are known. We look forward to his leadership on and off the field."