St. Mary’s High School has tapped Russell Croteau as its new varsity football coach. Croteau succeeds Brad Best, who resigned back in November.
“I am honored to be asked to lead the program at St.Mary’s, a school that has a long tradition of athletic and academic excellence,” Croteau said in a news release.
Croteau was recently an assistant at Bladensburg in Prince George’s County where he coached the running backs. He also served as an assistant at Oxon Hill in Prince George’s County and Cambridge-South Dorchester on the eastern shore.
A graduate of American University, Croteau played defensive back at Albion College in his native Michigan. He played wide receiver in high school at Bay City (Mich.) Central.
Best resigned Nov. 10, ending his second coaching stint at the Annapolis school. The Saints went 3-7 this past season (3-5 in the MIAA B Conference). In three seasons in his second tour, Best went 16-16.
After Mike Clay wasn’t retained by the school after winning the B crown in 2007, Best returned to the sidelines and guided the Saints to a second straight championship. That squad featured Mark McNeill, now at the University of North Carolina playing lacrosse and football, and Jason Gonos, a sophomore lacrosse defensemen at Harvard.
In his first stint from 1989 to 1999, Best guided the Saints to the MSA C Conference crown in 1990 and back-to-back MIAA B championships in 1995 and 1996. He went 75-58 over his combined 13 seasons with the Saints.
