NASHUA – The Anthony Nalen Era is beginning for Bishop Guertin High School football.

The Cardinals announced Wednesday they have hired the former Lunenenberg High School coach as their new head football coach. Nalen, a middle school technology teacher in Chelsea, Mass. who lives in Tewksbury, was at Lunenberg for three seasons with an overall record of 18-9 and a 2022 Midland Wachusett D League Championship.

Nalen succeeds John Trisiciani, who teaches at BG and had five seasons at the helm, making the playoffs the last three years, the quarterfinals the last two. Guertin was 8-3 overall this year, bowing to Pinkerton 14-12 in the Division I quarters after beating Dover in the prelims. Trisiciani resigned to the surprise of some just a few days after the season ended.

Nalen beat a field that included about eight coming in for interviews from among the many applicants received, and that, Cards AD Ryan Brown said, was whittled down to a final three. Candidates ranged from a longtime college coach, to college assistants, to high school coaches – but none were current New Hampshire high school head coaches. When asked if that surprised him, Brown said, “A little bit.”

But Guertin is thrilled to have Nalen take over.

“In all of our communications with him and in conversations with those who have worked closely with him over the years, Coach Nalen’s commitment to creating strong relationships with his student athletes and their families was clearly evident,” Brown said in a formal release. “His track record of winning at the high school level across several programs in the last decade demonstrates an ability to adapt and thrive in new settings.”

Nalen has had plenty of those as he has coached at, besides his successful stint in Lunenberg, Matignon, Bishop Connolly in Fall River (Mass.), Randolph, Saugus, and his one New Hampshire stop, Epping-Newmarket in 2019. He went 3-6 that season, while at Bishop Connolly he was named the 2015 Mayflower Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after posting a 5-0 league mark, and the best record in that school’s history (9-2) while outscoring opponents 184-20.

But while that was a high, his one-plus year in Saugus was a low. He was 4-7 his one full season there but then dismissed in September of 2018 following accusations of hazing in an August 17 incident in which a player reportedly practiced in his boxer shorts because he didn’t have the required red, white or black shorts. Police found no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing and in a very public dispute that was covered by the Boston media, Nalen fought to keep his job in court, and reportedly the dismissal was for “negligence.” Once a judge denied an injunction request to allow him to keep coaching, he ended his court fight. But he did keep his teaching job in that district.

Two schools – Epping and Lunenberg – have hired Nalen since, so the episode didn’t sway them. Brown said Guertin was fully aware of the incident, but upon its research came away even more impressed with Nalen, due in part to the support he received from the Saugus football community.

“We of course took pause,” Brown said. “And we had to do our homework. But everyone we talked to spoke about a coach of strong character. He stood up in the face of adversity to keep his job.

“I don’t have any concerns.”

“Anthony Nalen is one of the most caring, and dedicated coaches I have ever had the honor to know,” Saugus school committee member Elizabeth Marchese told the Lynn Daily Item at the time. “He has done more for our players, families and Saugus football in his short tenure than most.”

“He is 100% safe,” one parent of a Saugus player was quoted as saying at the time. “He is the best thing to happen to Saugus football in I can’t tell you how long.”

As for his numerous stops, Brown said that Nalen has been “chasing the perfect big school opportunity” and feels that Guertin is it.

Nalen couldn’t be reached for comment on Wednesday, but did post on social media a good-bye to the school and football community at Lunenberg, saying his hiring at Guertin “could not be possible without the hard work and dedication of my players, coaches and administration over the last three years.”

He thanked parents, boosters, etc., and wrote “To my players, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your effort and willingness to be coached allowed for us to be successful.”

And Lunenberg was successful, with three straight winning seasons, one of which was in the spring of 2021 due to the pandemic. The Blue Knights also had a 10-game winning streak, had two straight playoff appearances, beat Oakmont on Thanksgiving for the first time since 1978, and had what had been considered rare wins over rivals West Boylston and Littleton.

He takes over a Guertin program that won this year with a senior laden team, but has some skill players returning. Brown said that Nalen will likely keep teaching in Chelsea, but will be at Guertin just about every afternoon.

“The bedrock of our football team is strong,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming Coach Nalen to Bishop Guertin to continue to build on that foundation of excellence.”