Bob Spagnoli has known Augie Fontanetta since the 1980s when Spagnoli coached Fontanetta on the Notre Dame Dons football team.
Even back then, Spagnoli said, Fontanetta stood out from the crowd.
“He was a hard worker and never afraid of the commitment,” Spagnoli said. “He always understood the bigger picture.”
Fontanetta, who grew up in Norridge, graduated from Notre Dame in 1988. After Fontanetta attended Northern Illinois, Spagnoli served as a mentor early in Fontanetta’s career and helped him get a job at New Trier, where Spagnoli was teaching. Fontanetta worked as a teacher, coach and adviser at the school from 1994-2008. He served as the Trevians’ head wrestling coach.
Now in his eighth year working in District 211, Fontanetta was hired as New Trier’s athletic director on Monday, Jan. 18, at the New Trier District 203 board meeting. He replaces Randy Oberembt, who is retiring, and starts July 1.
“[New Trier] is a place I called home for 14 years, and it’s nice to be returning back to that,” Fontanetta said. “It’s an exceptional place that offers athletic programs as part of the educational vision of the school. There already is a great coaching staff in place, and I am looking forward to working with them and giving them the support and resources they need to succeed.”
Spagnoli, who is the girls track and field coach and a teacher at New Trier, said the school hired a winner in Fontanetta, who was one of three finalists and 40 candidates for the position.
“I couldn’t be happier or prouder for him,” Spagnoli said. “He’s done some great things in his career, and I think he’s going to do great things here.”
In District 211, Fontanetta was the athletic director at Fremd for five years before becoming the director of athletics and activities for the five-school district, which includes Conant, Fremd, Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Schaumburg.
Fremd athletic director David Dick and Schaumburg athletic director Marty Manning both said Fontanetta will be missed. According to Dick, Fontanetta was visible at sporting events throughout the district.
“That truly shows he cares about [the student-athletes] and what they are doing,” Dick said.
Manning, who’s in his first school year as athletic director at Schaumburg, said Fontanetta has taken the time to offer him any assistance he’s needed.
“He’s been a tremendous mentor for me in helping me understand both the day-to-day things that I need to accomplish as well as having a long-term outlook with our athletic department,” Manning said. “He’s an avid supporter in everything we do. He’s been a huge advocate for our athletes, coaches and athletic departments.”
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Spagnoli said he isn’t surprised to hear about Fontanetta’s successes in District 211.
“He gained a lot of experience at New Trier,” Spagnoli said. “He was on numerous committees and leadership teams. That experience carried over to his role at Fremd and then in that district.”
As much as Fontanetta said he enjoyed his time in District 211, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to return to the school that gave him his first full-time teaching job.
“One of the things that drove me back to New Trier is its tremendous student body,” he said. “They excel, both in athletics and in the classroom. A lot of things race through your head about what you want to get done right away, but the first thing will be establishing relationships with everybody in the building, the parents and community. I want to create my own culture.”
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