Meet the Staff

Ned Gallagher
Director of Athletics

Ned was appointed the school's ninth Director of Athletics in June of 1996. Also a member of the English and history departments, Ned oversees an athletic program that includes over 80 interscholastic teams, in addition to an extensive range of intramural and instructional offerings.

A former president of both the Western New England Athletic Association and the New England Preparatory Athletic Council, he is an active member of NEPSAC’s Executive Board. Ned has been a career three-season head coach, working with varsity cross country, squash, and tennis. The squads and individual student-athletes he has coached have won dozens of championships over the years; in fact, he has the rare distinction of having coached New England prep school champions in three different sports.

A native of Bayport, New York, and a graduate of Williams College, Ned lives with third and fifth form boys in Memorial House.

Patrick Dennehy
Assistant Director of Athletics
Associate Director of Admissions

Patrick Dennehy joined the Choate community in the fall of 2004.  Pat has been around boarding schools all his life, growing up on the Phillips Exeter Academy campus. As a student at Exeter, he excelled as a scholar athlete, participating on the varsity soccer, hockey and baseball teams over his four year career. Mr. Dennehy is still a committed athlete and serves as the head coach of the boy's varsity hockey program at Choate.

Before coming to Choate, Mr. Dennehy spent seven years at The Holderness School in New Hampshire as Associate Director of Admission, Head Varsity Hockey Coach, and assistant coach for the soccer and baseball teams.  In the Admission office at Choate, Mr. Dennehy chairs the Upper Form Committees and serves as the Athletic Liaison for the girls' athletic programs.  He serves as the Assistant Director of Athletics, supporting all the interscholastic and intramural programs while overseeing the daily operations of all Choate athletic facilities.

He is a graduate of St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in education. He served as President of the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association from 2003-2007, and coaches a number of summer programs and tournaments for talented players.  He and his wife have two children and reside on campus in Pierce House, where Mr. Dennehy is the adviser to sixth form girls.    

Sarah Nutting
Assistant Director of Athletics

Sarah Nutting '95 was a three-year varsity athlete, a captain and MVP of hockey and lacrosse her senior year, and a lacrosse first team All-American when she attended Choate. In her senior year, she earned the highest distinction a Choate athlete can receive, The Kennerly Award. She is a Class of '99 Dartmouth College alum. In her tenure there, she won Ivy League Championships with both the hockey and lacrosse teams.

Sarah returned to Choate in 2001 as an admission officer and two-sport coach. In 2007, she made a full time move to the athletics department as an Assistant Athletic Director. Her primary responsibilities center on the scheduling of interscholastic sports. She also works with the varsity ice hockey and lacrosse programs. Sarah lives on campus with her husband Trent, her daughter Casey and her two dogs, Gus and Dillon.

L.J. Spinnato
Director of Sports Information

L.J. joined the staff in the fall of 2008 after spending two years as a three-sport coach and Sports Information Director at The Northfield Mount Hermon School. Here, he splits time between athletics and the admission office, serving as the Boys' Athletic Liaison for admissions and Choate's Sports Information Director. His office is located on the second floor in the Worthington Johnson Athletic Center.

L.J. is a '06 graduate of Amherst College where he was a four year letter winner, two-time First Team All-NESCAC Selection, and team captain for the football program. L.J. grew up locally in Madison, CT where he attended Daniel Hand High School. He was a three sport All-State Selection and Captain for Hand's football, wrestling, and track teams. He coaches varsity football and wrestling and currently resides in Spencer Hall where he advises fourth form boys.

Jim Paradise
Head Equipment Manager

Jim joined the Athletic Department in 1997. For years Jim ran a successful painting business but was always a big fan and supporter of youth athletics. He coached football for 18 years (including Choate’s varsity team in 2001) and was president of East Haven Youth Football from 1989 to 1999.

Jim’s duties as Head Equipment Manager include distributing, reclaiming, inventory, repair, and replacement of all equipment for all interscholastic and intramural sports. He is the building supervisor for the Worthington Johnson Athletic Center and works with event coordinators who rent Choate athletic facilities. He is AEMA-certified and has attended countless training seminars on equipment fitting and re-conditioning. Jim was the 2009 recipient of the Booker Kilgore Award which is given by the American Equipment Managers Association recognizing the equipment manager of the year. When not at Choate, Jim loves to spend time with his two boys Mike and Nicky.

Brian Holloway
Head Athletic Trainer

Brian arrived at Choate in 1997 as the Assistant Athletic Trainer and took over the head job in 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training from UCONN and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Before coming to Choate he worked as an athletic trainer at Wesleyan University and Daniel Hand High School. As the Head Athletic Trainer he is responsible for preventing, treating, and rehabilitating all sports-related injuries. He enjoys the camaraderie in the athletic department and working with motivated student-athletes. He currently runs the Peak Performance Program at Choate which is geared towards the overall strength and conditioning of devoted Choate athletes who potentially have the ability to play beyond high school.

In addition to his duties at Choate, Brian is the owner and director of Total Athlete Conditioning, a service that trains and rehabilitates athletes at the high school, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. He enjoys spending time with his children, Ryder and Ty, and his wife, Jess.

Rose Camire
Office Manager

Rose is the office assistant for the Athletic Department. After 19 years of administrative experience in the health club industry she came to Choate in 2001and began the challenge of revamping and recreating office procedures to deal with the move into the new athletic complex.

Working with the Athletic Directors, her responsibilities vary from securing transportation, working with various team assigners for scheduling officials, taking care of all league payments, to providing other schools, Athletic Directors, business vendors, parents, students and alumni with pertinent information. Outside of Choate, Rose has raised two sons with her husband Jim and enjoys spending time with her family and especially her two twin grandsons.

Paula Marcati
Assistant Equipment Room Manager School

Paula, a mother of three-avid East Haven, CT athletes has been involved with high school sports and boosters for over 30 years. She came to Choate in 1999, splitting time between the athletics office and the equipment room. She manages the students' athletic requirements and the enrollment of all instructional offerings. Paula's personality is the back-bone of the Choate athletic office. Her mother-like personality is a refreshing comfort in the world of Choate athletics.

Emily Osterhout
Athletic Trainer

Emily joined the staff of the athletic department in 2005. Growing up in New Britain, CT, she always had a passion for sports, especially softball which she played through high school. From New Britain she headed to Springfield College where she received her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training. Emily recently completed her master's in Sports Psychology.

As an Assistant Athletic Trainer, she provides the best possible care to Choate athletes. Emily truly enjoys the nature of her job and is one of Choate's biggest athletic supporters and fans. Outside the office, she lives with her husband Brian in Nichols, advising third form girls.

Matt Pendleton
Athletic Trainer

Matt first came to Choate as an Athletic Trainer in 2000. He received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sports Medicine from Sacred Heart University in 1998 and his master’s degree in Educational Technology from the University of Hartford.

At Choate, Matt provides sports medicine care to students, faculty and staff. He has also created a state-of-the-art paperless record keeping system that is currently being used at the University of Hartford, Bowdoin College, and Choate. Matt’s free time is spent with his wife Mary Liz Williamson, a Latin teacher at Choate, at their residence in Hall.