With the departure of the previous Athletic Director Alex Chapman, local Marinite Jett Russell enthusiastically soared into the position this year. And, as long as COVID-19 doesn’t interfere, he sees the sports seasons going back to normal.  

“The main thing to look forward to is getting back to some level of normalcy. Last year was a tough year for COVID, so a lot of kids had the l look opportunity of playing the sport they love taken away from them,” Russell said.  

Russell graduated from San Rafael High School, where he played both basketball and baseball. After high school, Russell went on to play college level baseball. He started teaching in Marin in 2005 and continued overseas in Indonesia, Norway and England until he took his current position as head of the athletic department at AWHS this year.

“I am happy to be back to my roots, back to my friends and family and back in the system I came up in as a student athlete.” Russell said. “I’m really excited to get to know people around here at the school, get to know students (and) build relationships with students, coaches and colleagues as well.”

Russell feels confident that Archie Williams High School (AWHS) athletes will be able to play sports during the normal seasons as well as compete in potential playoff games. AWHS is part of the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) division and will play league and non-league during their sports’ seasons, which not all sports teams were able to do last school year because of COVID-19.   

AWHS has a well-established sports program, so Russell doesn’t see too many present challenges besides COVID-19. At this time, athletes are not required to be vaccinated to play sports. 

“I hope to focus on making sure students get time on the field, time on the court and time to play. As we go, I’ll be looking to implement some small changes and build on the culture of the rich history of athletics at this school,” Russell said.

Russell is eager to see the AWHS teams compete at a high level, go on playoff runs, find individual and team success, and achieve all the things that come along with the elements of a successful athletic program. 

“You can always come out and support your peers and friends and get involved by scorekeeping at games, keeping stats, being a team manager or helping with equipment,” Russell said.  

As the new Athletic Director, Russell looks forward to the students at AWHS and forming bonds with coaches and athletes.