Hans Wiederkehr comes out of retirement for Riverhead school post

Just a few weeks ago, Hans Wiederkehr was in South Carolina enjoying his retirement. But that word “retirement” really started to itch at him.

“You know what they say about retirement,” Wiederkehr said matter of factly. “It’s the second to last stage in life. I just wasn’t ready for that yet. I feel like I still have more to give.”

Wiederkehr wasn’t exactly looking for work but, when he was told of a leadership position in Riverhead, a place he knew very well after raising his family in Wading River, it gave him a new purpose in life. After a few interviews, Wiederkehr was named as interim director of health, physical education and athletics for Riverhead Central School District, taking over a post former athletic director Brian Sacks held for almost a decade.

“Any chance I have at influencing the lives of young students and helping them excel really excites me,” Wiederkehr said. “I know this town has a rich history in sports. I remember all the championship football teams here. I know what sports means to this town. And what excites me the most is that we’ve already turned the page here. We’re starting to compete in every sport again. My job is to continue to foster that growth. But what attracted me the most here was the new superintendent, Bob Hagan, and his vision for Riverhead. He truly wants the best for this place and wants the best people around him to make it that way.”

Though football runs in Wiederkehr’s blood, he’s coached just about every sport as he raised his three kids and has held numerous leadership positions throughout his career. After his playing years came to an end, which featured big time Division I football for Syracuse University and a season in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wiederkehr was offered a job as a teacher in the Babylon school district that also included an assistant coaching position for the varsity football team. 

After a retirement opened up the head coaching position a year later, Wiederkehr was offered the job and never looked back. As the head coach of the Babylon High School football team, a position he held from 1987 to 2002, the Panthers won two Long Island Division IV championships, six Suffolk County titles and 10 league crowns. He then gave up coaching the team to spend more time raising and coaching his kids. He became an assistant coach at Shoreham-Wading River in 2014 to help his son, Ethan’s team. All the Wildcats did those years was win three Long Island championships in a row and two Rutgers trophies.

“I just wanted to be involved with my kid’s lives,” Wiederkehr said of leaving his position in Babylon. “That was the most important thing to me. But they’re all adults now, working great jobs and I still have more to give.”

Wiederkehr’s oldest daughter, Rachel, played Division I lacrosse at Ohio State University. Her younger sister played four years of lacrosse at the University of Mary Washington. Ethan went on to earn a full scholarship and play four years for Northwestern University as an offensive tackle.

Wiederkehr held multiple leadership positions over the years in his path to landing at Riverhead. In addition to being the president of the Suffolk County Football Coaches Association — a position he held for around 20 years — the former varsity football coach most recently was the interim athletic director at William Floyd School District for a year and a half.

“Being an Athletic Director offers an opportunity to help students across every sport,” Wiederkehr said. “It’s really a gratifying position that I don’t take lightly.”

Riverhead Athletic Club president Quinn Alexander knows Wiederkehr well and is super excited to see what he can bring to Riverhead athletics.

“Hans and I go way back,” Alexander said. “Oh God, I’m afraid to say this but I’ve known him for the better part of 30 years. My mother grew up in Babylon, so we crossed paths there. Then she started the girls lacrosse program at Shoreham-Wading River, and his daughters both went through that program, so we’ve got a big history together. Hans truly is a ‘What do you need?’ or a ‘How can I help?’ type of professional. He wants to honor tradition while also supporting the needs of his coaches and teachers in their goals.”

Though there may be an interim tag on his position for now, Wiederkehr refuses to act like it.

“When I hear ‘interim,’ it’s like you’re on the couch waiting for someone to take your spot,” Wiederkehr said. “That’s not me. I’m going to do everything I can to improve Riverhead sports while I have this position. I’m here from 8 [a.m.] to 8 [p.m.] every day. I’m going to be involved from top to bottom. I want to improve every student-athletes experience here at Riverhead. My job is to give them the tools to do so.”