The Scarlet Knights have their new leader.

He’s not really new though. In fact, there’s probably no one else who knows the program better.

Matt Cerullo was officially introduced as North Andover’s next head coach in a statement on social media earlier on Sunday morning.

Cerullo has been NA’s defensive coordinator since 2021 and a longtime assistant since 2018, so there’s already familiarity there that should help the transition be as smooth as possible. With plenty of experience in both Lawrence (2005-2017) and North Andover and working with kids from around the state with Pact Performance, fans and supporters of the program can feel good about his ability to connect with players and develop them on and off the field.

We reached out to Coach Cerullo to get some thoughts on why he wanted the role and how his prior experience sort of led to this moment in his coaching career.

“It’s an opportunity that I’m truly honored go get,” he said. “The coaches that I’ve gotten to coach with in Lawrence and in North Andover, the players that I’ve coached in both areas, the families I’ve been around and also coaching and developing kids from all over the area with pact performance all have played a role in this and I’ve had amazing mentors along the way.”

As for why this opportunity was the right fit for him at the right moment, Cerullo feels he’s more than ready for the challenge of upholding the high expectations the program has year in and year out.

“The time was right and I am ready for it,” he added. “I felt like I’ve been ready for a bit but sometimes you just need to keep working on yourself & your craft and when the timing lines up things happen.”