Sheridan will transition into job as PC athletic director

Alex Sheridan will take over as athletic director at Port Clinton High School next year, and he'll have the benefit of learning on the job. Sheridan, 26, was approved as PC's next athletic director at Monday's school board meeting. He will work with current athletic director Rick Dominick during the 2025-26 school year and oversee junior high athletics. Dominick, who also works as a school counselor, plans to retire June 30, 2026. That's when Sheridan will take over athletics for grades 7-12. "We're still in the process of figuring out how we're going to do it, but (Dominick) is going to run the day-to-day operation, which is a huge selling point," Sheridan said. "There's a lot you have to learn. To be able to work with Rick as well as oversee middle school athletics is a great opportunity." Port Clinton is among a group of schools that will leave the Sandusky Bay Conference after the 2025-26 school year, so Sheridan will be transitioning into a new conference landscape when Dominick retires. "You gotta give credit to our superintendent, high school principal and board of education," Dominick said. "They took a look at how things were lining up and said now is the time to go to a full-time 7-12 AD. In the big picture, it's an ideal setup. "He can focus on 2026-27, work with the other ADs on schedules, procedures and policy." Sheridan is wrapping up a one-year stint as AD at Old Fort High School. He took over after Matthew Ayers accepted the Huron AD job last year. He said Dominick sent out an email earlier this spring notifying the group that he planned to retire and encouraged the ADs to spread the word to potential candidates to take over at Port Clinton. "I didn't apply for a few weeks," Sheridan said. "I wasn't looking to leave but the more research I did, I realized it was a really great opportunity." Sheridan was chosen from a field of 35 applicants. Fifteen candidates were interviewed for the job and Sheridan had two interviews, the first in mid-April. "We spoke to coaches, administrators, and the superintendent at Old Fort, and all unanimously agreed that Alex is the finest athletic director they have ever worked with," PC superintendent Patrick Adkins said in a news release. Sheridan will be taking over the middle school job from Port Clinton Hall of Famer Bob Polachek, who is retiring after the current school year. The fact that he'll have time to learn about the high school AD job — which includes directing 21 varsity sports — was a big selling point. "To hire this position now and to have Rick still around, to have to succession plan to help in the transition is rare and another selling point," Sheridan said. "A lot of times in these kinds of jobs you might get a week or two with a retiring AD." Sheridan is a native of Stow, Ohio, and played football at Stow-Munroe Falls High School in eastern Summit County. He earned a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's in sports administration from Kent State University. Sheridan broke into the business after sending emails to athletic directors. One answered, and Woodridge AD Nick Mayer put Sheridan on the right path, starting as an intern. "He's the Nick Saban of ADs," Sheridan said. "It seems like all the young guys he takes on get jobs. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. I guess I did a good job because he kept me around." Sheridan spent four years at Woodridge before taking the Old Fort job. He compared the job of an athletic director to an air traffic controller. "You get to wear a lot of hats," he said. "You don't want to fly the plane; you want the coaches to do that. "I didn't want to come in and change a lot of stuff (at Old Fort). We have coaches coaching here longer than I've been alive. It's a great group and I've always tried to let them do their job." Sheridan worked with the Kent State athletic department while he was in college, but realized then that he wanted to get into high school sports. "I know it sounds cliché, but when you do something you love, the good outweighs the bad," he said. "I can't imagine doing anything else." Sheridan met with some PC coaches Monday afternoon and took a tour of the campus. He came away impressed with the facilities. "It's pretty incredible and that told me that the community if very supportive of athletics," he said. "This is a special opportunity, and I'm very grateful to be part of it."