After the resignation of head basketball coach Dave Clay, the athletic department was quick to announce the multi-sport coach, EJ Perry. “It was a great selection by the committee,” says basketball player Owen Heffernan. “…you can already tell he’s definitely motivated to bring us far into the tournament, and pick up right where we left off.”

Among his four year career at Andover, Perry had an overall record of 65-27 with the girls basketball team, including last year’s 22-2 record, leading the team to the state semifinals two out of the four years he was there.

When asked why he wanted to come to Triton, Perry responded “…the biggest thing that the Principal and the AD sold me on were the kids here. You guys took the program from a certain place and got it to 15-8 last year, with a lot of excitement.  I really like the facilities, watching tape on you guys, especially the playoff game against Pentucket. This is an opportunity where we can take this program and get it to the next level, and that’s what I want to do.”

Perry is currently the head varsity football coach and boys volleyball coach at Andover High. With a record of 53-30 over eight years of coaching football and 70-38 over five years of coaching volleyball, Perry will remain the coach for these teams.

“I heard a lot of great things about coach Clay,” said Perry in a recent interview. “He established a lot of good fundamental basketball, and he was able to get you to the best playoff run since 2000, so I want to take that and continue it. You’ll see a little bit of salt and pepper and a little bit of different spice that I’ll bring to the program, and it’ll be interesting.”

Students around the high school are already talking about their hopes for the future of the program and Perry.

“Personally, I don’t know him, but I have heard good things about him,” says former varsity basketball manager Henrik Ernst. “He wants success for the team, and he wants success for himself… He’s looking to win, so from that I can tell there’s definately going to be a positive attitude in the locker room…”

Perry’s advice for the returning players? “Gotta come conditioned, we’re gonna play full 96 feet, up and down the floor offensively and defensively, we’ll play different presses, so you gotta be in condition.”

Heffernan states: “We’re already at where he brought teams to be, so from now he can just take us to the promised land.”