Boyle tabbed as next president of Notre Dame

Shay Boyle has spent his entire educational life in Catholic schools and beginning in July, he will have the opportunity to lead young men through their own Catholic school life.

That is after Boyle was approved in January by the Board of Directors of Notre Dame College Prep as the school's next president.

"There may not be another person on the planet that has been through more Catholic education than me," Boyle said. "From kindergarten through eighth grade I went to Our Lady of Victory in Chicago, then four years at Weber High School and four years at the University of Notre Dame, then I coached part time at Notre Dame High School while I was a computer consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers downtown for three years. Then I went to Lewis University for two years to get my Masters and then I worked at Loyola University for four years as a D-I assistant (basketball coach), then I was head basketball coach at Gordon Tech for four years and then eight years at Notre Dame.

"Since I have been eight years old, I have been in a Catholic school. I have a pretty good flavor of all the orders of the Catholic church."

Boyle has served as Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Enrollment of Notre Dame College Prep since 2014 after beginning his ND career as the Director of Enrollment in 2012.

He has served on the Notre Dame College Prep Administrative Leadership Team and been involved in many enrollment, fundraising, and student activities at the school during his eight years. The appointment came after a thorough and comprehensive search process conducted by a sub-committee of the Board of Directors chaired by Board Chair Kevin Burke.

"Mr. Boyle is exactly the right person to lead Notre Dame College Prep into this exciting next chapter," Burke said in a release. "His strong vision, leadership skills, and extensive knowledge of the enrollment and education landscape will allow him to propel the school forward in limitless ways beginning day one."

 Boyle will take over from Ralph J. Elwart who has served as the school's president since August 2014 and has confidence in Boyle as a successor.

"I have the utmost confidence in Mr. Boyle's appointment," Elwart, whose tenure as president will end June 30, said in a release. "Shay has the professional experience and dedication necessary to lead Notre Dame College Prep to the next level of excellence in the values-based education of young men."

 While Boyle attended Weber High School, NDCP became a part of his family soon after he left for college.

"When I was at the University of Notre Dame for college, my little brothers all came to Notre Dame High School and that got my family entrenched in the high school," he said. "This has been my life's calling. When I worked at Pricewaterhouse, it was a great company, but there was something always calling me back to education and coaching and working with kids."

Families continuing to return to Notre Dame as teachers, coaches or sons of graduates returning to the school is the way Boyle said the school will thrive.

"The lifeline of our school is the alumni and we need them to send their kids back. We have kids coming to Notre Dame every morning from over 50 different cities and that is incredible the reach we have and that is because the alums love their high school and still want to support it and want their kids to be part of it. Parents always say that you just feel it the first time you walk in and that is something we will never lose as long as I am here.

"It is a challenging landscape with Catholic schools and enrollment, but we have been lucky to have grown our enrollment to be the biggest all boys high school in the state."

While Boyle will begin his new position over the summer, there will be a part of him that he will retire in March.

Boyle has been a basketball coach at the high school and college level for many years, however, with the demands of the new job, he will hang up his whistle at the end of this season.

"Having the coaching outlet, I was able to get the pulse of the guys and I am not sitting in an office all day. I want to be out there talking to the kids. I think everyone is excited to see that the school promoted from within with someone who has worked toward the goal. I think the teachers and faculty are excited as well. It takes the scariness out of the idea of bringing someone in that doesn't know the school as well," he said. "I am sure I will find my way to the gym when I need to get my fix to watch them practice and help in any way I can, but my players know I will be there to support them in any way I can."

Currently, the Dons are the No. 1 ranked team in the state of Illinois in Class 3A by the Associated Press and Boyle is hoping to go out on top with a state championship.

However, no matter how this season finishes, he knows he will have many successes to enjoy for the years to come. "We have to be excited for our successes and we celebrate all our victories here at Notre Dame, academically, with our clubs, our music, theater – there are so many things. It is a full time job because we have full time success," he said. "I love to tell the Notre Dame story and it is a great story to be told."