Jay Steinhorst, a longtime assistant coach with the Cazenovia Lakers varsity football team, Monday night was approved by the school board to become the new head coach.

Steinhorst was approved on a vote of 5-1, with one board member absent.

“We’re excited here. My wife and I, my family, are all really excited,” Steinhorst said. “We’re going be looking forward to making arrangements for some spring and summer team camps and things. Tom got the ball rolling and we’re going to keep the ball rolling.”

Steinhorst will succeed Tom Neidl, the longtime Lakers head coach who announced March 4 that he will retire at the end of this school year. Neidl stepped down after 25 seasons at the Lakers’ helm and 36 years overall in the coaching ranks.

Steinhorst has been the Lakers assistant coach for 25 seasons, and has been working as defensive coordinator and co-offensive coordinator for the past seven years. He started as an assistant coach when Neidl became head coach in 1990.

“I couldn’t feel any better about leaving Cazenovia Football in the hands of Jay Steinhorst. He is the closest of friends and been my right hand assistant for 25 years,” said Neidl. “He has a great football mind in all aspects of the game. I am sure he will keep Cazenovia football rolling, and continue in the great tradition that he has already been a big part of building.”

Assistant Coach Mark Evans will continue on the coaching staff as an assistant, and more staff positions will be filled during the year, Steinhorst said.

In addition to heading the Lakers varsity football team, Steinhorst said he is “going to try” to continue on as the head varsity baseball coach and the boys indoor track team coach.

Steinhorst enters his 14th season as head varsity baseball coach. He coached the varsity baseball team to the school’s first-ever sectional championship in 2012. As indoor track coach, he also led the team to its first-ever OHSL Championship this past season.

“I am very excited to hire Jay Steinhorst as the new head coach of the Cazenovia Lakers. He has been a loyal, modest and dedicated assistant coach for the past 25 years,” said Cazenovia CSD Athletic Director Mike Byrnes. “I am looking forward to seeing what Coach Steinhorst and his newly built coaching staff will do moving forward. I anticipate him leading a hard-working and motivated staff ready to learn and grow together. Clearly, the new staff and team will build off of our strong traditions established over the past 50 years by coaches like Tom Neidl, Paul Stoecker, Rich Fratini, Mark Evans, Jay Steinhorst and Sam Volo, and the many great players who have worn the blue and gold.”

Steinhorst is a 1982 graduate of Cazenovia High School and has been teaching physical education in the Cazenovia CSD since 2002. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education from SUNY Cortland.

His new position will become effective officially on July 1.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].