Mike Curtin really had no idea there was a major blizzard back in early February. The day the sky dumped 21 inches of snow on the ground, Fenwick’s athletic director was out cold on a gurney with his chest cavity agape. Doctors were busy removing, replacing, and reinserting his heart valves.
“It was a good repair,” says Curtin of his triple bypass heart surgery, brought on by a lingering murmur and then significant blockage.
He has recently returned to work in a limited capacity. By next week, Curtin surmised, he’ll be back full time, but that won’t last too much longer either.
After 21 years at the helm of one of the Chicago area’s most successful high school sports programs, Curtin is stepping down — or stepping aside, as he likes to refer to it.
“It doesn’t really have anything to do with the recent health issues, although having the surgery certainly made me aware of my mortality,” says the 63-year-old Curtin, who will move to an associate athletic director role next year. “It’s just the right time.”
Curtin’s replacement will be Scott Thies, the current assistant athletic director at Fenwick. Thies, a 1999 Fenwick graduate, has coached several sports at the high school in different capacities over the last few years. Curtin says his former student is perfect for the job.
“Essentially, the management style won’t change much. Scott’s not hung up on the title or the power of such a position. It’s about the athletic development of the kids and keeping the high academic standards of the high school. He’ll do a great job.”
Curtin, who was instrumental in the development of the girls sports programs when females were admitted to Fenwick for the first time in 1992, has a long list of fond memories from his time as a teacher, coach and head of athletics.
“Two girls basketball state titles, seven straight boys water polo state titles, the Corey Maggette era,” Curtin says, recalling the days when Corey Maggette, now in the NBA, dazzled fans during games in Lawless Gym. It was like Hoosiers in that old gym.
“There are plenty of memories,” he adds, “so many that if I name only a few, some coaches and former players will be on my case here.”
He’d be remiss to leave out a personal memory. During the 2004-05 season, Curtin coached the Fenwick boys golf team to 11th place at the Class AA State Tournament. He says he may even help out the golf program when he can this spring.
“I won’t be shirking any of my responsibilities, that’s for sure — not now or as the associate athletic director,” he says. “I’m not technically retiring, either. At least, I’m not calling it that.”
Retirement? Who said anything about retirement?