Gregory Russo was most recently the Yonkers Public Schools Assistant Athletic Director. He also had stints as the AD at Blind Brook High School and Keio Academy, will now lead the Pioneers in Poughkeepsie.

Greg Russo was one of six candidates for the job.

Poughkeepsie, whose new superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser announced the cancellation of fall sports last week, has been without an athletic director since early summer after Christian Hodge left for the same position at Pelham.

Greg Russo’s title will be Director of Physical Education, Health, Athletics and Recreation. He will earn $115,000 annually for a four-year contract beginning Tuesday, Oct. 13.

He comes to Poughkeepsie at a time when the athletic program has seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

The boys basketball team won the Class A state championship in 2019 for the second time in school history.

But the football program has struggled, with six head coaches in the last seven years.

And baseball could not field a team in 2019 and, after missing the 2020 spring season that was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, it remains to be seen whether the Pioneers will have baseball in the spring of 2021.