Jason Kessler Named Millville Public Schools Athletic Director, Health & PE Supervisor

Millville Public Schools announced that Jason Kessler will serve as the district’s new athletic director and supervisor of Health & Physical Education, a position that oversees athletics programs and the health and physical education curriculum across the district. The appointment, announced Feb. 11, 2026, places a longtime Millville educator and coach in a role with direct influence on student wellness, extracurricular access and program equity.

Kessler, described in the district release as a longtime educator and former basketball and track coach and identified in local reporting as a Millville graduate, said he looks forward to continuing his work with students. “I look forward to continuing my service to the students of Millville,” the release quoted Kessler. “I want to ensure that this continues to be a very special place for our students. Our Health & Physical Education department and athletic program will continue to succeed and foster a culture that instills pride.”

A district photo published with the announcement shows Jason Kessler, center, with Millville Public Schools superintendent Matt Mazzoni and Board of Education president Kim Carty. The hire follows years of active personnel movement in Millville athletics, underlining the board’s ongoing oversight of coaching and staffing decisions.

Recent district disputes illustrate the sensitivity around athletic staffing. In a separate board action, trustees blocked a proposed transfer of longtime employee and former Thunderbolts football coach Jason Durham, with the board voting 7-2 to allow him to remain at Millville Senior High School. Durham, a 17-year district employee who has held more than 40 coaching contracts with the district, said the transfer felt punitive after he stepped down as head coach to spend time with his daughter. “I left coaching to spend time with my daughter, who was young and still is,” Durham said. “And it feels as though I’m being punished for it. And I don’t think it makes me a bad teacher. I think a lot of people would say it makes me a better teacher. The choice here is education or athletics.” A district official noted that the move had been recommended to fill a vacancy and “to make room to hire someone who wants to coach.”

Those dynamics are part of a longer local story. Millville has a tradition of long-serving athletic leaders, including Tony Surace, who coached for decades and later moved into an athletic director role, and earlier hires such as Dave LaGamba, who was identified as athletic director in coverage of coaching moves in 2024. Coaches and administrators in Millville have shaped community identity and opportunities for student-athletes for generations.

For residents, Kessler’s appointment matters for public health and equity in access to school sports and physical education. Athletic directors and supervisors set priorities that affect after-school participation, injury prevention protocols, staffing allocations and how resources reach schools across neighborhoods. With past board interventions highlighting community stakes, parents, coaches and students will likely watch to see whether Kessler’s tenure brings continuity, expanded opportunities, or shifts in coaching assignments and program funding.

Next steps for the district include publishing Kessler’s full professional biography and clarifying his effective start date and reporting structure. The community should expect the board and district administration to outline any planned changes to Health & Physical Education curricula, athletic schedules, and equity initiatives that affect participation and student well-being.