AUBURN — Brant Remington has always advised students and athletes to capitalize on opportunities to better themselves.

So when Edward Little High School’s athletic director position opened up, Remington followed his own advice.

“Even if you might necessarily be happy where you are, you always want to try to improve your situation, whether it’s career-wise or family-wise or health-wise, whatever it is, always look to improve yourself,’” said Remington. “And I’m taking this (job) definitely as an opportunity to do that, and there’s a lot of upgrades that I’ll be a part of now.”

At the Auburn School Committee meeting Wednesday, Remington was officially confirmed as Edward Little’s next athletic director. He has spent seven and a half years as Maranacook’s athletic director, but will close the book on his tenure with the Black Bears and begin his new post beginning July 1. 

“Kind of stumbled on the opportunity,” Remington said. “When it became available, I got curious about it, inquired. Once I met the administrative team and a couple coaches and some student-athletes, I kind of fell in love with the place. … I was definitely impressed going through the interview process for the people that I was talking with.”

Edward Little principal Valerie Ackley headed the hiring committee that selected Remington, and noted his committed leadership style.

“The hiring committee was impressed with (Remington’s) deep passion for his role as athletic director, his student-centered approach, his ability and methods in communicating with all stakeholders, as well as his collaborative and supportive approach to working with coaches,” Ackley wrote in an email. “Brant is an ‘all in’ type of leader with a big heart. We cannot wait to have him lead the next chapter of EL Athletics.”

Remington replaces Todd Sampson, who has been the Red Eddies athletic director since 2018.

Sampson, an Edward Little graduate, will join the Maine Principals’ Association as assistant executive director, replacing Mike Bisson, who is taking over the executive director role following the retirement of Mike Burnham.

“Certainly excited for my next step, but certainly going to miss Edward Little,” Sampson said. “There’s a saying here in Auburn, ‘Once a Red Eddie, always a Red Eddie.’ And I graduated from EL, I taught physical education for a short time, and now being the AD here, it’s going to be tough to leave. But certainly excited to join the Maine Principals’ Association.”

Sampson had previously done site management work for MPA tournaments and served on committees. Several months ago, around the time of the Maine state basketball tournament, he eventually decided that the assistant executive director role was something he would be interested in. 

“Edward Little is in such a great spot right now,” Sampson said. “New facility, programs that are really successful. And the great thing is, I feel like I’m leaving the athletic department in a really good spot for the next person.”

It just so happens that person will be Remington, whose move to Edward Little marks a homecoming. He lives in the area and coached girls soccer and girls lacrosse at Lewiston High School prior to his stint at Maranacook. 

Remington said he wasn’t necessarily looking to leave his current post, but received encouragement from Lewiston athletic director Jason Fuller, when the Edward Little job became available. 

“I think I’ve done a real good job at (Maranacook), especially at the school size, because we’re really limited, 360 kids,” Remington said. “My current position has high school and middle school, so I’ve had to juggle that. We’ve had a lot of success. … So I wasn’t necessarily looking, but I talked to Jason Fuller, who’s a friend of mine at Lewiston, who I coached for, and he kind of encouraged me to try it out and mentioned a lot of really good things about it.”

Some of the good things include the new fields and facilities, all of which were built in 2023 or later, that will serve as the backdrop for Remington’s pending tenure leading Red Eddies athletics.

“Totally impressed with the building, the way it’s set up with the athletic worlds, locker rooms and gyms and weight room and all that stuff,” Remington said. “And then now the fact that they’ve moved baseball and softball fields on campus, which they’ve never had, that’s great because everything is right there. … Facilities, they’re top-notch. They’re some of the best in the state. That was definitely a good selling point.”