Bettencourt named Peabody High football coach

The Peabody High football team will have a new yet familiar face at the helm next fall.Mark Bettencourt, who has been head coach of the Peabody High baseball team for the last eight years, has been hired to replace Matt O’Brien, who took the job on an interim basis midseason last fall when head coach Scott Wlasuk resigned.Bettencourt has also coached in the Tanner football program, first under former coach Dick Woodbury and later under Wlasuk for two years.”It’s very humbling (to be picked),” Bettencourt said. “There were a lot of excellent candidates. For the powers that be to select me, it was humbling.”Bettencourt played football for Peabody High, graduating in 1991 after quarterbacking the team to a Super Bowl in the fall of 1990. Since taking over the baseball program, Bettencourt’s teams have won out or shared seven league titles, including all five since joining the Northeastern Conference. In 2007, his team went undefeated in the Greater Boston League and made it to the North final.Peabody High athletic director Phil Sheridan said there were 16 applicants for the job and seven were offered interviews by the selection committee, which was comprised of eight people. One of the seven dropped out after getting another position.”There were some really good candidates,” Sheridan said, adding that when Bettencourt finished his interview and left the room, one of the interviewers said he was ready to strap on his helmet and play for him.”The feeling was that this is the guy that’s going to fix this program,” Sheridan said.Sheridan said one of the things about Bettencourt that stood out is that he’s a collaborator. The athletic director said he’ll reach out to all the coaches in the system, to the middle school level and to youth football. Sheridan said Bettencourt does clinics and camps for Babe Ruth and Little League-age youngsters.”His passion, his discipline, his organization and his knowledge of the community make him a great choice,” Sheridan said.Bettencourt is a Lynnfield police officer (he was on the Peabody police force for 10 years) and the father of four children under the age of eight. He coaches many of their youth soccer teams and youth basketball teams and is involved in minor league Little League softball and instructional baseball. He also teaches two religious education courses and this summer will coach Peabody Legion.Bettencourt said his coaching philosophy doesn’t change, “whether it’s football or baseball or water polo.” He stresses four things: discipline, dedication, a relentless work ethic and outstanding character.””Winning isn’t what our focus is. I believe winning is a by-product of doing those four things,” Bettencourt said. “If you are able to buy into my system, acquire those four concepts, winning will just happen.”Bettencourt’s staff will include Dave Bettencourt, an uncle who played for Peabody in the 1970s and later at the University of New Hampshire; Mark Falco, a Peabody High football player in the 1980s who is now a Peabody police officer; Bob Murphy, who played at Tufts; Jim Festa, a linebacker and offensive line coach, and Matt O’Brien, who was interim coach in the fall. The two played together in high school.Bettencourt said he and former coach Scott Wlasuk are good friends and he wants to make sure a lot of the things Wlasuk brought to the program continue.”He made a lot of positive strides with this program,” Bettencourt said. “He gave everything he had to this. It didn’t work out and that’s unfortunate, but he did a lot for the program. His efforts won’t be forgotten.”Joyce Erekson can be reached at [email protected].