Hollis-Brookline hires a neighbor as its new head football coach

Patrick Gendron, who was at the head coach at Westerford Academy (Mass) from 2017-2021, will lead the Cavaliers after spending the last three seasons as an assistant at North Middlesex Regional
Patrick Gendron, who once served as the head coach at Massachusett's Westford Academy, has been named the new head football coach Hollis-Brookline High School in New Hampshire.
Patrick Gendron, who once served as the head coach at Massachusett's Westford Academy, has been named the new head football coach Hollis-Brookline High School in New Hampshire. / Patrick Gendron

Although Patrick Gendron lives in Massachusetts, he said his home’s proximity to Hollis-Brookline High School in New Hampshire is one of the main reasons he applied to become the school’s varsity football coach.

“The ‘Welcome to Hollis’ sign is right across from my house on the street,” said Gendron, a Pepperell resident. “I got the itch to be a head coach again and the closest school to my house is actually Hollis-Brookline. I’m right on the Hollis line. I pay attention to the sports there because it’s so close, and I jumped at the opportunity when it came time to put my name in the hat.” 

Hollis-Brookline recently selected Gendron to replace Milt Robinson, who served as the football program’s interim head coach last season.

Gendron, 37, was the head coach at Westford (Mass.) Academy from 2017 to 2021, and spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at North Middlesex Regional High School in Townsend, Mass. 

Gendron graduated from Westford Academy in 2005 and played football at Bridgewater State University. He works as a physical education teacher at Westford Academy.

“I didn’t want to step away at Westford, but I had to do it for family reasons,” Gendron said. “I’m excited to get rollin’ with the guys and start creating a winning culture at Hollis-Brookline. One of the things we want to do is create that buzz, even in the offseason.”

The Cavaliers won the Division II championship in 2019, but have been trending in the wrong direction since then. Hollis-Brookline went 0-9 last season.

Robinson became the program’s interim head coach when John Trisciani left Hollis-Brookline last June to become Pelham’s head coach. 

Gendron said he plans to meet with his players on Thursday.

“I’m going to tell them the same thing I said during my interview: I want to make football important and I want to make football the best part of the student’s day,” Gendron said. “If we can change the culture and get the kids to buy-in and believe in that and create some passion and excitement around the sport, that’s my goal. … Winning will become a by-product of the character-driven culture that we create.”


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Roger Brown
ROGER BROWN

Roger Brown is a University of Maine graduate who has been a professional sportswriter since 1993. He has worked for several New Hampshire newspapers and has also covered high school sports for ESPN and MaxPreps. He publishes the New Hampshire Football Report and New Hampshire Hardball.