A few years ago, Scott Insinga was close to his dream of becoming Nashua’s athletic director.

He was serving as the interim AD for the second half of the school year after then-AD Peter Casey had abruptly resigned to take a job at UMass-Lowell.

Insinga, who was the assistant AD, seemed the logical choice to take over the job on a permanent basis at the end of the school year, but school officials tabbed a young up-and-comer named Tom Arria instead.

Insinga served faithfully as Arria’s assistant, and then last year became the Nashua High School South athletic coordinator when coordinator spots were created for both North and South to handle all the day-to-day details.

Next year Insinga will carry the title of athletic director, but not in Nashua. He was hired last week to take over as Salem High School’s new AD.

“It’s an excellent opportunity, they were more than welcoming as far as the interview process went,” Insinga said. “Great leadership team in place there. Not only a fresh start for me but for them as well as they’re going to be renovating their school over the next three years.

“It’ll be a good step in the right direction for both of us, I think.”

When Arria announced his resignation in June 2013, Insinga didn’t apply for the job that eventually went to Lisa Gingras, again surprising many who had tabbed him as the leading candidate.

“In my mind I just felt I needed to go somewhere else,” Insinga said. “I felt I had done as much as I could do here. I just felt it was time for a fresh start somewhere else.

“(The Nashua job) is one of those positions where you have to be a special person for a special job. It’s a very large situation.”

Insinga has loved the South
coordinator job.

“Having to deal with just one school was almost refreshing,” he said. “I got to know a lot of the kids there. The other part of my coordinator job was I was teaching health classes too. I got a really good feel for a lot of the kids so it brings you back into touch with a lot of those kids, made it a little more personable. That’s what I was looking for, so hopefully that’s what I can do at Salem.

“I think I’ve learned a lot here in Nashua that will allow me to do those same types of things over at Salem.”

He won’t be teaching, but as physical education and health director Insinga says he’ll still be in classrooms observing.

Gingras said Insinga will definitely be missed.

“It’s a huge loss for South,” she said. “It’s going to be a huge loss for our student athletes. He’s been the face of Nashua athletics and more specifically South the last two years. He’s done it all. He’s done it all.”

Gingras said the search is underway to fill the position, with interviews set up for this week.

“It’s some big shoes to fill,” she said. “We’re looking obviously to fill that position as soon as possible. We’re doing it because part of that position is also teaching part-time, and part of the compensation is release time out of your teaching duties. So we’re looking internally, so as we’re scheduling our teachers for next year we’re trying to make that (coordinator) decision at the same time and move forward with that.”

It will be an adjustment for Gingras, who values everything Insinga brought to the table to help her as a new AD.

“Invaluable,” she said. “It’s going to be really hard to see him go. I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him, and at least grateful I had one year with him.”