Hoffman High athletic director announces retirement

After two years on the job, Hoffman Estates High School Athletic Director Gene Curran is resigning his post to retire.

His resignation is scheduled to be formally accepted today at a Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board meeting.

"I've been in the business for 28 years," Curran said. "Sometimes you just say enough is enough."

Curran's last day is July 1. He said he'll likely end up working in the travel industry, but he also wouldn't mind if a university offered him a job.

He's credited with changing the athletic atmosphere at Hoffman Estates through hiring new coaches and re-organizing a struggling program.

That includes making the football team more competitive. The Hawks went winless for two consecutive years before Curran was hired at the school. They finished 2-7 this season. Those around him said his work ethic and friendliness are strengths.

Despite a two-year stint, Curran's impact is easily measured, District 211 Superintendent Roger Thornton said. He also mentioned upgrades to the high school's gyms that took place under Curran's tenure.

"I think he's had a very positive impact," Thornton said. "He brought a lot of experience to the position."

The girls basketball team also saw dramatic improvement and the high school has hosted more tournaments, increasing the school's exposure, Curran said.

He joins Fremd High School's Jack Drollinger and Conant High School's Washington Bush in retirement. Curran said their departures influenced his decision as the district is already in the process of searching for their replacements. That makes it easier to find his successor, he reasoned.

Thornton said nothing should be read into the departure of the three, saying it was merely coincidental.

Before arriving at District 211, Curran spent six years as athletic director at Lake Zurich High School and 18 years at Polo High School in north-central Illinois. He said in a 2006 Daily Herald interview that Hoffman Estates' larger athletic department -- with 28 programs -- helped entice him to leave Lake Zurich.

Curran will have earned $114,667 this school year in gross pay, according to District 211 Associate Superintendent for Business David Torres.