Welcome Jamar Greene, Stamford High School's New Head Football Coach

Like any football coach, Jamar Greene doesn't always seem entirely comfortable talking about himself, his accomplishments. He'd rather talk about the game. He can rattle off bullet-points about his history, but he'd rather talk about the upcoming season.

Not wanting to talk about himself is fine. Words are just that. It is possible learn everything necessary about him just from watching him interact with the students under his care.

Greene is late for the interview because he's making sure all his player's have their cookie dough sales fundraising paperwork. Walking through the halls, kids say hi and exchange high-fives with him. He's constantly on the prowl for new potential players, stalking baseball players wrapping up practice and students lingering in the hallway after school.

"He's a great hire," said Stamford High Athletic Director Jim Moriarty. "He's the future in Stamford. The kids love him. He was a player in the program and has already been a coach in the freshman program for four years."

Greene has an acute interest in the football program succeeding, and in making sure all are actively involved in the program who have the desire.

"We get here around 2:30 p.m.," Greene said. "I have study hall for about an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I'm here Tuesdays and Thursdays for those kids that want to lift or want to study, but right now Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are the days that I expect them to be there. It's not a requirement, just something I want to do to make sure they're eligible to play and make sure their grades are up."

Greene has a lengthy history with both academics and football in Stamford. Currently a Language Arts teacher at Cloonan Middle School, he started as a teacher at Julia A. Stark, where he also got his start as a coach.

"One of the PE teachers came up to me and said, 'You know, they're looking for a coach for our fifth and sixth grade team?' It just took off from there," he said. "My first year coaching, we went to the city championship. From there, I fell in love with it. I started getting better at it and started learning the X's and O's of the game and here I am. It all kind of happened fast. I didn't think I was going to become a coach for high school this soon. But I'm going to take it and run with it."

Last year, Greene took the helm as offensive coordinator for Westhill High School. Assistant coach Raul Font, who has worked with Greene since 2007, including during Greene's stint at Westhill, said the time they spent there was invaluable. Font said Greene's rapport with the students is a tribute and should do a lot of good for the program.

"I think being at Westhill really helped us out a lot under Frank Marcucio," Font said. "I'm optimistic, I think we just have to get the numbers back up. We're familiar with a bunch of the kids. I'm very optimistic."

Moriarty thinks so too, and said Greene's tenure and familiarity with the system should be something the Stamford High football program should be able to utilize for some time to come. Moriarty's been with the school for 37 years, 34 of those spent as the basketball coach.

"In that time, we had 13 football coaches," he said. "We were looking for someone who was a teacher, but could eventually get to the high school that's going to make a commitment long term to the program. Jamar's our guy... I'm looking for great things over the long term for Jamar. He's got good community relations, a lot of the people in the community backed him."

Greene's community integration, the relationships he's fostered since his beginnings at Stark, are one of the key components to why Stamford High officials are so hopeful for the future of the program. He knows the students and the students know him, feel comfortable with him and listen to the wisdom he can impart.

"What I try to tell the kids is, 'Look, I've been where you are right now. I come from where you come from. I tried to do some of the things you do and didn't get away with it,'" he said. "I hope I can be a positive role model and an example. The system does work here. Stamford High is a good school. You do what you need to do in the classroom, you will go to college. You will get a good education. I'm an example of a success story. I've got a Master's Degree. I came from Stamford High. It works."

His success is what propels him to maintain a focus on academics over athletics. If the players don't understand the importance of doing well in school, then Greene doesn't have a team to coach.

"I have a plan that focuses on not only excelling on the football field, but also excelling in the classroom," he said. "So my first goal, before anything else, is to get these kids to do what they need to do in the classroom. Secondly, I want to use football as a tool to make them better people. Build character, discipline, give them the tools they need in life to succeed after graduation."

Greene said so far, so good, but the season has yet to start. With everything changing so quickly, Greene said even he still has trouble believing where he's turned up.

"I'm still pinching myself a little bit."