New Athletic Director Named at Riverwood

Teacher and coach Michael Santoro was named athletic director at Riverwood International Charter High School.

Riverwood announced the appointment on Sunday. Santoro has been a history teacher and baseball coach at the high school for more than 10 years, according to the announcement. He has also served as assistant athletic director on two different occasions.

Last fall, former athletic director, Jeff Holloway, resigned following an investigation by the Fulton Board of Education that cited . In part, the report showed delays of up to nine days in the

In a statement Santoro described his goals for the new position, including keeping academics a priority for students competing in school sports events:

“Right off, we need to address the facility needs and provide the coaches and teams with support and assistance for the spring season, and start preparing for Fall.  Also we need to streamline the eligibility process and be a visible representative of the Riverwood community.

I can help provide an atmosphere of cooperation between the coaches, and an overall approach that focuses on the success of all of the programs we offer.  I want our athletes to support the other sports teams when they are not involved in their own contest. We are all Raiders!

Longer term, we are looking forward to the facility and school improvements that would come with SPLOST (1% sales tax for education).  Also, I would like to initiate an academic assistance program for our student athletes to help them meet the academic demands of Riverwood.

I'm really excited about the challenges that wait as we move to region 7AAAAA. Riverwood continues to grow, and we are now moving up to a classification known for its strong athletics across the board. We get the chance to showcase our abilities on a larger stage while exposing our athletes to challenges day in and day out.  I know this community and I know that we will step up.”

As a baseball coach, Santoro’s teams made it to state tournaments nine times in the past 12 years, with two region titles and 249 wins. This semester, he plans to continue teaching AP United States History and Magnet U.S. History.