Paul VI hires new football coach

Paul VI Catholic has hired Nick Metrokotsas as its new football coach, replacing Pat McGroarty.

Metrokotsas, 63, has been in coaching since 1968 and has spent 25 years as a high school head coach, mostly at Catholic schools in New Jersey. He also was the head coach at Word of Life in 2007, guiding the Springfield school to a 5-5 record.

“I think the thing that sold them on me was my ability to build programs from the ground up,” said Metrokotsas, who was an offensive guard at Navy before leaving the academy to enlist and eventually graduating from Rutgers. “My big crusade when I was in New Jersey was to take over schools that everybody thought were losers in their conferences. … We turned it around almost every place I went.”

Paul VI has struggled in recent years. Its last winning season was in 2000.

“Ever since I came down here I’ve been looking at them,” Metrokotsas said. “It’s the only Catholic school in the area. I live in Reston so I would go over and watch game repeatedly. I got the impression there is a need to motivate. The kids are thinking DeMatha and Good Counsel are the powerhouses and that’s the way it’s going to be. So those games are lost before you step on the field. We need to turn that around.”