School Board Approves New Head Baseball Coach

The Westwood Regional Board of Education approved social studies teacher Kristofer Izzo as the high school's new head baseball coach Thursday.

"We wanted someone who was going to be a strong positive influence on the players, who really knew their baseball and we believed had all of the organizational and leadership skills necessary to be a head coach," Superintendent Geoffrey Zoeller told Patch.

Izzo has been teaching at the high school for eight years. He has been an assistant coach for the baseball team for all eight years, and also coached football for five. Izzo said he is excited to step up to the position

"It's a thrill for me," Izzo said. "Since I was a high school ball player, I always knew that one day I would want to be a head coach."

Izzo said he felt fortunate to have played for Bob Carcich at Emerson High School and Rick Gianetti at Dominican College, and to have coached with 21-year Westwood head coach Joe Yurko, who the board to the position at a meeting earlier this month.

Yurko said that he was recommended by the athletic director and believed he was wrongly removed from the position. He is attempting to appeal the board's decision to not reappoint him. Yurko did say he hopes Izzo does well with the team.

"He's been a good assistant coach and a good friend," Yurko said.