The Pennington School has announced the appointment of Michael Watkins as head coach of the School’s long-running football program, effective in September 2023. Current Head Coach Jerry Eure will remain director of athletics at the School.

Watkins joined The Pennington School in the fall of 2022 to serve in three critical capacities—admission counselor, athletic liaison, and assistant coach for Varsity Football. Watkins joined the School’s coaching ranks with a tremendous depth of experience, serving most recently as the director of athletics and head football coach at Bishop McDevitt High School in Wyncote, PA, where he helped build a thriving program. A Kean University graduate and four-year defensive back starter, Watkins has dedicated the past two decades of his career to both developing talent on the field and identifying potential off the field.

Jerry Eure, known fondly as “Chief” to the Pennington School community, remains director of athletics at Pennington. He is a Trenton native, a 1975 graduate of Pennington, has been a member of the faculty since 1986, and has held the position of head varsity football coach since 1992. A graduate of the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Eure led Pennington football teams to undefeated seasons in 1992 and 1993 and has had 152 career wins. Named Coach of the Year by area newspapers eight times, he was also named the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Coach of the Year in 1994. Eure has taught health and driver education classes and has also coached varsity and JV baseball and JV basketball.

“We are delighted to welcome Mike to Pennington this year, and I am grateful that Jerry has agreed to stop talking about his retirement so that he can continue to lead our athletics program,” said Head of School Bill Hawkey. “We are very lucky to have two incredibly talented individuals who will both help our athletes reach new heights in the years to come. Jerry Eure is a one-of-a-kind person with an incredibly generous and big heart and so much good will and knowledge to share with students and colleagues. He has given his talents and dedication to Pennington for many, many years, and we look forward to continued success in 2023-24.” Chief’s presence on the football field will always be felt at Pennington!