He is a humane human, a man of service. Giving is part of Earl Hazel's nature; it's engrained in his DNA.

But it may just be that Hazel has received more from his role as Warwick's athletic director (A.D.) than he's given.

"I've received more; it's not even close," said Hazel. "In this job, you're building relationships. I wouldn't have had the opportunities to meet some people if it weren't for this job. I feel privileged to serve them. When I see people out, like former students, it fills me with gratitude for those relationships. I've had mentors throughout my career, and they've just been so helpful in allowing me to be myself."

A humble and grateful people person, Hazel is retiring from his position as the Warwick School District's director of athletics. Hazel turned in his letter of intent on the occasion of his 55th birthday in January, and his retirement will become official on the last day of June.

After serving as the Warriors' A.D. for four years, Hazel's decision to call it a career was profoundly affected by a personal life-altering family event in November of 2025.

"It was a wake-up call. It was a catalyst for perspective," said Hazel. "I had been thinking about (retirement), and it's just time (now) to spend more time with my family. My wife said it would be nice to spend some adult time with our kids. With this job, it's just tough to get away. But I love this job, and I've had a lot of great memories here."

The Warwick School District has received 51 applications to become Hazel's successor. Ideally, the passing of the Warriors' athletic torch would coincide with Hazel's final days of employment.

"I care deeply about this place, and I want my successor to do well," said Hazel. "I think (the current state of Warwick athletics is) on the cusp of greatness. Enrollment is trending down and the number of students is going down, so our (PIAA) classifications are changing. Our teams are competitive. We have zero coaching openings at the moment. People invariably say Warwick is a great place, and they know the history of Warwick athletics."

The Warwick athletic department sponsors 24 interscholastic varsity teams and a dozen junior high teams. The Warriors employ a total of 96 coaches and also benefit from the contributions of volunteer coaches and support staff.

Hazel's work as A.D. has also been ably supported by administrative assistant Marisa Tocci and athletic trainers Sheila Hershey and Erika Kaufman.

"Athletics provide supportive environments through coaches," said Hazel. "They teach students how to face adversity and allow them to learn a little about themselves and how to contribute to things that are bigger than themselves. When a wrestler enters a circle (on the mat), it's all on them. When you ask them, they'll tell you they found that they had a little more to give. That's very powerful because it's going to ripple into their lives."

After 23 years of serving the Warwick School District as an eighth-grade language arts teacher, Hazel took over as Warrior A.D. from Ryan Landis. Despite his love for sports, Hazel's career change was a leap of faith.

"The job was going great, my kids were getting older and I was looking for something new," said Hazel. "I heard Ryan was leaving and I asked him and he said, 'You can unequivocally do this job, it's just about the time.' If you can get the support of your family, there's not a better job. The learning curve was great, and people have always allowed me to do it my way. It was an opportunity to impact a greater number of kids in a more positive way. It was a chance I had to take, and I didn't regret it one bit."

Hazel grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. He attended Millersville University and the Harrisburg campus of Penn State University.

"Retirement is an interesting term," Hazel said. "It's more a change in lifestyle. I'm going to take a year to explore. I want to still be committed to young people. I've got to find a job where when I leave, it stays there. And traveling is part of it."

"Warwick has provided so much for me and my family," concluded Hazel. "It gave me an opportunity to impact people and grow professionally. Once a Warrior, always a Warrior."