Ayers can't wait to get started as Huron AD

HURON — Matthew Ayers is ahead of the game. Ayers was recently hired as Huron High School's new athletic and activities director. He's only 24. Let's just say he made the most of his time at Bowling Green State University. While in college — he graduated in December 2022 — Ayers was an assistant athletic director at Cory-Rawson and later Otsego. He also coached basketball at several levels at his alma mater, Van Buren, and started his own girls AAU program. And he worked for the University of Michigan's football ticket operations staff for two seasons. That stuffed résumé got the attention of Huron's search committee. "He's had meaningful, quality experience and has delivered," Huron superintendent James Tatman said. "He's got the energy that the position demands." Ayers is ready to get going. He is wrapping up his time at Old Fort this month and starts his new job at Huron on July 1. "I got (school) board approved in May and I can't start till July. Man, I just want to get going," he said. "To do the job right you have to be in the building and be with the kids. I want to get in the door and shake the coaches' hands and get to work with them." Ayers interviewed for the job in mid-May. More than 30 candidates applied for the position that opened up with the retirement of Steve Camella. By the third round of interviews three candidates remained in the running. Ayers' final in-person interview was on a recent Saturday. He got a phone call on his drive home. "I left that day hoping this would happen," Ayers said. "This is an awesome community and one I really want to be a part of. "I was driving home to Findlay and I got to Fostoria. I got a phone call from (Tatman) and figured this had to be good unless I forgot my folder or something. Before I got home he offered me the job. It was a good interview." Ayers slept on it a couple nights an accepted the job two days later. The job comes with an $80,000 salary. "All three finalists had different strengths," Tatman said. "It came down to the Matthew's core values and creating positive experiences for our kids. His high energy and passion resonated with the committee." Ayers was a standout basketball player at Van Buren and went to BGSU with a non-sports career path in mind. "I thought I was going to be a high school science teacher, but I started coaching and got into the athletics part of that," he said. "I realized that my passion was with athletics and anything that involved extracurriculars at school." Ayers graduated with a degree in sports management. He put plenty of miles on his car while at BGSU, including trips to Ann Arbor for Michigan home football games. "On Saturdays I'd drive up and help out with getting tickets to the player parents or guests," he said. "I also helped with the recruits. I made sure they were ready to go and helped get their visits started. That really helped me learn how to connect with people." He said leaving Old Fort was difficult and thanked the school for giving him his start in athletic administration. "I just wanted to get my foot in the door. Old Fort gave me a shot," he said. "It was tough to make those connections and to leave those kids and staff members after a year, but this was best for me and my family." Having worked at a Sandusky Bay Conference school, Ayers is somewhat familiar with Huron. He marvels at the school's facilities and fan base. "It's an awesome facility," he said. "You want your community to support athletics, you want to fill those stands and represent Huron. Rich athletic history and a tight-knit community. You'd have to be a fool not to be part of something like that." Ayers grew up in a time when kids have phones and social media rules. He feels he can make a connection. "Your image is everything," he said. "The posts you have on Twitter and Instagram say a lot about you. For kids, especially in high school when they're learning that, it really means a lot. Having lived through that helps me relate to them. Understanding how kids connect and operate is huge." Ayers also expects all Huron sports to develop strong social media footprints. "I tell my coaches, everyone's got a Facebook, everyone's got a Twitter and Instagram. Make sure you're putting stuff out there. That's how people connect these days." Ayers will make the long commute from Findlay to Huron in July. He moves into his new place on August 1. He expects to spend a lot of time at the high school, but he does find time for a few hobbies. "I'm an avid fantasy football guy," he said. "I hunt and fish. Just spending time with my girlfriend and my dog is good enough for me." And one other thing about Ayers is bound to lead to some good-natured ribbing this fall: "You'll never catch me on a Saturday not wearing Michigan blue."