By Christopher Hurley, churley@lowellsun.com
The Wilmington resident has been named the new head football coach at Lowell Catholic High School.
The move comes after Paul Sobolewski’s resignation to take the head coaching position at Triton Regional. The Crusaders quickly turned to Cavanaugh, who served as the team’s offensive and defensive line coach for the past two seasons.
“I’m both humbled and honored to be given this opportunity,” said Cavanaugh. “I’ve been fortunate to have coached a lot of great kids the past couple years and we look forward to building on the success of the teams that have come before, both on and off the field. The future of Crusader football is bright.”
The Crusaders enjoyed an 8-3 record last season, including a 7-1 regular season run, en route to a CAC Small conference championship, before bowing out to Kipp Academy in the MIAA Division 8 playoffs.
Sobolewski’s departure came as a shock to many. And it started an immediate chain of events which ultimately led to Cavanaugh’s hiring.
“That was unexpected,” said Cavanaugh, 38, who was on vacation with his family when he first heard the news. “It caught everyone off guard. That happened (last) Wednesday, and (Lowell Athletic Director Matt) Stone gave me a call on Thursday about coming in. I met with them Saturday morning, and they offered me the job. I don’t even know if they opened the job to be honest with you.”
Sobolewski went 20-8 over three seasons.
According to Stone, no massive coach search was needed. Cavanaugh was a natural fit to take over the high-profile role. He already established relationships with the players and staff, ensuring a seamless transition.
“We were fortunate to have Joe as an internal candidate,” said Stone. “The last couple of years we’ve watched him coach. We’re excited to see him take the reins here and move forward to another great season.”
Cavanaugh first interviewed for the Lowell Catholic post when Sobolewski was originally hired in 2019. He was then courted by the Crusaders two years ago as assistant coach, with his son enrolled into the programme as an eighth-grader. That original interview left a strong impression with Stone and former athletic director Jack Fletcher, as they searched for Sobolewski’s successor.
‘The kids love him,” said Stone. “He’s got a great resume, 19 years coaching experience. And just seeing him on the sidelines the last two years he’s been tremendous. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do this year.”
A Wilmington High grad, the Wildcat started coaching at his alma mater with the freshman team alongside Bob Almeida. When Mike Barry took over the programme, he named Cavanaugh his offensive coordinator, coaching there until 2016. He moved onto Billerica High, serving as assistant coach for three years under Duane Sigsbury.
He didn’t coach in 2020 due to the pandemic. After COVID, he enrolled his son at Lowell Catholic as an eighth-grader to play football. That’s when he joined Lowell Catholic as an assistant coach, serving the past two seasons.
“The team has had a lot of success in recent history,” said Cavanaugh. “They’re great kids to coach, I know pretty much all of them. We have a pretty good relationship. I know what they can do, their strengths and weaknesses. I’m familiar with the school, and know how everything runs, and familiar with the league. It should be a smooth transition, especially for the kids. There are a lot of familiar faces still around, so that works in our favor.”
When he’s not on the sidelines coaching, Cavanaugh works in a different arena entirely, as the owner and director of Nichols Funeral Home in Wilmington.
“I am the black sheep of coaches,” said Cavanaugh. “Everybody that coaches is either a teacher or an administrator. I’m totally on the opposite end of that spectrum.”
One thing is for sure, the fall sports season can’t come soon enough.
‘I’m excited,” said Cavanaugh. “It’s something I’ve been working on for a long time. I started coaching back in 2004 as a 19-year-old, and to have my own team now is pretty exciting for me.”
