WOODBURY— Coaches are hard to keep around; however, finding a new one is even harder.  Here at Nonnewaug, the baseball team recently brought on a well-known face in the NHS community as the new head coach.  

Kyle Tehan, who has been teaching health and physical education at NHS for the past two years, and previously coached from 2016-2021, recently accepted the job offer as head coach. 

“This opportunity feels like a natural homecoming,” said Tehan, a health and physical education teacher at NHS. “After serving as the varsity assistant for several seasons and stepping away in 2021, the chance to return as the head coach was the right move.” 

Students recognize Tehan’s impact in the classroom, so it’s easy to see how these leadership qualities will translate onto the diamond. 

“He is a very positive role model, and he always makes sure you fully understand the assignment,” senior Ayla Albon said. “He also always jokes around to build more of a connection” 

On the field, Tehan’s baseball background speaks for itself. Prior to coming to Nonnewaug, Tehan worked and coached at Crosby High School in Waterbury and had a successful tenure as an infielder at Eastern Connecticut State University.  

“Coach Tehan is a very good baseball coach, he was a terrific player back in his days,” said Kyle Brennan, assistant varsity baseball coach and NHS history department faculty. “And we were both assistant coaches here together in 2021, and I know during that season I was very impressed with his ability to communicate with players and teach the fundamentals.”

Being a coach doesn’t just mean coaching your team to victory. It means bringing them closer together, and teaching the players to win and lose as a whole.

“My main priority is to build a culture of winning on and off the field. I hope to instill a process-oriented mindset within our program where we focus on the daily habits and effort that it takes to become the best team that we can be,” Tehan said. “My vision involves building a foundation of character and hard work that results in lasting relationships.”  

Having strong camaraderie within a team is key to success. With Tehan implementing the “foundation of character” and “hard work” the NHS 2026 baseball team is in for a successful season–not only on the field but also off. 

 “I think he will help keep the entire team in line throughout the season,” senior captain Brayden Whipple said. “He brings a positive mindset to everything he does which I think will help all of us keep a good mentality and mindset throughout the entire season.” 

Those who are lucky enough to know Tehan know he is a knowledgeable and reliable person.  These attributes were immediately evident for NHS athletic director Sean McGee. 

“Every time you do an interview [with a coaching candidate] it’s hard,” McGee said when reflecting back on the interview process. “When [Tehen] put his name in the hat I already knew he was going to be a great candidate one way or another. He did absolutely outstanding [when interviewed] and ,with him being a teacher [at NHS], it made all the difference as well.” 

Tehan will take the field later this month, and with that he will carry his past experiences into this upcoming season.