WESTBROOK – After six years on the job, Westbrook High School Athletic Director Todd Sampson has resigned to take a position at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham.

Sampson, who oversaw all sports and extracurricular activities for Westbrook High School and Westbrook Middle School, said he would miss Westbrook, but the attraction of a position where he would solely oversee high school sports at a school closer to his home in Auburn was too much for him to pass up.

“I’ve loved my time in Westbrook,” Sampson said. “Westbrook has been very good to me. I think I’m a better administrator because of my time in Westbrook.”

Sampson’s last official day on the job is June 30, but he added that he would be available after that to help the new Westbrook athletic director with the transition. “I’m willing to help anyone who needs it,” he said.

School Superintendent Marc Gousse said the job is currently being posted for internal candidates within the Westbrook School Department, and the search may be expanded to candidates outside of the department, depending on the pool of applicants.

Gousse said Sampson is going to be missed. “I want to sincerely thank Todd for his efforts over the past six years,” Gousse said. “He’s worked very hard for the district. Todd’s leaving on great terms, we’re sorry to lose him. It’s going to be a huge void for us.”

Sampson is leaving the Westbrook High School athletic program after overseeing a major transition over the past couple of years. Under Sampson’s watch, the school’s football program, which had perennially struggled as a member of the Class A Southwestern Maine Activities Association, moved to Class B, a designation more in line with the school’s student population.

The move paid immediate dividends, as the Blue Blazes had one of the most exciting football seasons in recent memory. For the first time in years, Westbrook qualified for the postseason, and even pulled off a big road upset over Falmouth before falling in the Class B semifinals to Wells in a close game.

Sampson said the reclassification of the football program and the playoff win was one of the highlights of his time at the school.

“To see the excitement on the kids’ faces after we won that (playoff) game, that was awesome,” he said.

Westbrook High School Athletic Director Todd Sampson has resigned to take the athletic director job at Mt. Ararat High School. (File photo)