Wellesley High School sporting events will look quite different in 2026-27.

Wellesley athletic director John Brown announced Monday his retirement from the school in an official email to media outlets.

The change is not effective immediately. Brown will continue through the remainder of the 2025-26 academic year and “expects” to aid his successor through the beginning of the 2026-27 season.

In the release, Brown expressed pride in the “tremendous teams, thousands of participants, hundreds of league championships” that the athletics programs at Wellesley have experienced in his 20 years with the school.

“How often can someone say that their hobby and their passion is their job,” Brown said in a statement. “I would not have traded this for anything. I was able to make my living in sports in a great community. I expect to remain in this role through October and look forward to supporting a smooth transition to the new athletic director. I have loved my time as the Wellesley Public Schools Athletic Director and will absolutely miss it.”

During Brown’s tenure with the district, Wellesley has notably raised 47 state championship banners and is consistently a MIAA tournament qualifier across the entire athletic department.