Former Hall-Dale High School athletic director Colin Roy is coming out of retirement to accept that position again while current AD Tim Johnson is retiring.

The two men have been operating in parallel universes for the past 27 years, bouncing between Hall-Dale and Mt. Ararat High Schools.

Roy, who graduated from Hall-Dale in 1970, retired as athletic director at Mt. Ararat in 2012 after 16 years in that position. Before that he served in several coaching positions at Hall-Dale over 20 years and became athletic director there for his last seven.

Johnson replaced Roy as baseball coach in 1987 and after an initial stint there, took a job at Mt. Ararat as Dean of Students. He also coached the baseball team there for a year. He returned to Hall-Dale and coached baseball on four different occasions through 2013, serving as athletic director for the past 13 years.

“It’s bittersweet,” Johnson said of his retirement. “I’m going on to grandchildren, casinos and golf.”

Roy has played his share of golf in retirement, but felt something was missing.

“I won’t say I was completely bored being retired,” he said. “But I felt like I could be working and doing something and I really hadn’t found anything that interested me. I thought it would be kind of nice to go back to where I was.” Roy, who was approved by the school board June 12, takes over his new position July 1. The position is part-time and includes overseeing athletics at the middle school.

Both Johnson and Roy enjoyed success on the field or in administrative capacities at Hall-Dale. Roy coached baseball for 10 years, winning a Class C regional title in 1986, and girls basketball for six years, winning a state championship in 1986. He also coached boys varsity basketball for a year, held several middle school coaching positions and coached varsity softball for eight seasons, reaching the tournament each year. Johnson coached baseball a total of 14 years, winning a state championship with the Bulldogs in 2001. During his tenure as athletic director Hall-Dale won state championship in boys and girls basketball and outdoor track.

The coaches at Hall-Dale gave Johnson a going away party this week and recalled both tongue lashings and support they received from their former AD in a good-natured roast.

“Overall I always knew he was a little bit of a gentle giant with a loud bark behind him,” longtime basketball assistant Gordon Fuller said.

Added track coach Jarod Richmond: “I can’t think of a time you didn’t go to bat for me or anybody else (here).”

While at Mt. Ararat, Roy served as both vice president and president of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference as well as chair of the Maine Principals’ Association soccer committee for 16 years and the lacrosse committee for 12. During his time at the Topsham school seven varsity programs were added. Hall-Dale is a much smaller school with about 360 students, but Roy said he’d like to increase athletic participation if possible.

“I’m really not sure about change,” he said. “I have to see what’s really in place. With a smaller school you have to make sure you have the interest.”

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @GaryHawkinsKJ