WARREN, Mich. – De La Salle Collegiate has hired a veteran educator with a Catholic schools background to become its newest assistant principal.

Brent Widdows, who taught art and mathematics for the past 14 years at Sterling Heights High School, becomes De La Salle’s new Assistant Principal for Student Life.

A 1995 alumnus of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory, Widdows will become the primary point of contact for student discipline as well as De La Salle’s groundbreaking drug-testing program. He will also be involved with student-sponsored groups and clubs.

Widdows will work closely with Assistant Principal for Academics Christopher Dean. The pair will report to Principal Nate Maus.

“I am grateful to be able to hire Brent to join our De La Salle community,” Maus said. “The passion and care he brings to the role is vital to the mission of the school. He has an innate ability to connect with those he meets which allows him to better serve the needs of everyone he comes in contact with.”

While at Sterling Heights, Widdows also served as a varsity coach, heading the Stallions football team for the last 10 years, and the boys’ and girls’ track and field squads over 12 seasons.

As its coach, he helped institute several fundraising and service initiatives for Sterling Heights student-athletes. He was instrumental in starting the Stallions’ annual cancer awareness game, which has raised nearly $90,000 since 2010. He created the school’s Culture of Community First – “Faith, Family, Heart” – and was named a top fundraiser by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer in 2014.

In 2015, Widdows was among four national honorees to earn the Dove Men+Care deodorant Caring Coach of the Year Award. In its press release, Dove said Widdows “creates opportunities for his team to engage with their community and make it a better place – including reading at elementary schools and local retirement centers. He has also created an annual ‘Cancer Game’ which has raised over $10,000 for cancer research and family support, and is now the biggest game of the year at Sterling Heights High School.”

Widdows received a Bachelor’s of Arts in teaching from Adrian College, where he also played football for the Bulldogs. He earned a Masters in Educational Leadership from Oakland University in 2010.

Widdows is the nephew of De La Salle alumnus Gerald Zmyslo ’62 and cousin of Zach Kowalczyk ’10.

Widdows and his wife, Laura, live in Shelby Township with their daughter Ella, and son Caleb.

De La Salle President John M. Knight also announced that Joe Gerardi will add to his duties as vice president of mission and ministry. Gerardi, a 1986 alumnus, will also oversee building operations and the tuition assistance program.

As part of his new duties, Gerardi will work with facilities and food service, while also handling tuition assistance. He is already responsible for all Lasallian Catholic formation at the school as well as directing campus ministry and service programs.

The move was necessary when Maus – who had been vice president of operations – became the 20th principal in school history, on July 1.