Desmarteau ready for new challenge as ACC’s new AD

After Jessica Peters stepped down as Allen Community College’s athletic director, there was no formal search for a replacement.
President John Masterson believed he had the right fit for the job already in house. And the college’s coaches believed the same.
So that’s how Doug Desmarteau got the gig.
There were no ceremonial introductions or proper conventionalities.
“The coaches got together and thought I could do it,” Desmarteau said. “So I went for it.”
Of course, the 42-year-old had to interview for the position with President John Masterson and pass an approval by the school board. But after Desmarteau’s 10 years as the men’s soccer team’s head coach and math instructor in the classroom, the college already knew what it was getting in Desmarteau.
And his goals were simple enough for the staff.
“I just want to leave this program better off than when I took over,” Desmarteau said.
Aesthetically, ACC is already benefiting from a facelift. The school’s gym and locker rooms have been under construction and should be ready for use by the time the school’s athletics kick off in August.
Desmarteau also announced the introduction of a new website solely dedicated to ACC’s athletic program. The three-month process to integrate all of the Red Devils’ sports into one site has just begun so Desmarteau expects it to be fully functional by October.
In terms of producing a quality product on the field and on the court, Desmarteau has also been kept busy during his first three weeks on the job.
“We just announced the hiring of a new volleyball coach (Wednesday) and I’m looking to replace the women’s basketball coach and assistant men’s basketball coach since they just left for other jobs,” he said.
There has been no training session or learning curve for the position. Desmarteau, who once directed the Little Apple Soccer Program in Manhattan, has just had to rely on his previous experience and learn the rest on the fly.
“Sometimes, I just got to wing it,” he joked. “But thankfully I have a lot of help from my family and the other coaches.”
He added that because the athletic program’s staff is so close to one another, it makes the job easier in terms of communication. Desmarteau hopes to keep that line of communication open in order to better accommodate the program’s needs and desires.
So next week, Desmarteau is scheduled to meet with all the coaches and discuss what ACC could do in order to improve the quality of the athletics.
He plans to talk about his new ideas too, like introducing bi-monthly booster club meetings, monthly athletic awards and more fundraisers to help athletics become more “self-sufficient.”
Desmarteau will remain as the head coach for the men’s soccer team while assuming the athletic director position. He said most people on staff at ACC where a couple of different hats, so he’ll just have to manage his time a little differently like everyone else.
And he added that maintaining his coaching role will help him keep his focus on the players.
“Because at the end of the day, that’s who we’re doing it for,” Desmarteau said. “It’s all about the athletes.”