Archive: Sports

Lansing's Board Of Education approved most of this year's coaching lineup at Monday's school board meeting, but a new Athletic Director was not on the roster.  After a dozen years in that Role Ed Redmond closed the door on that chapter a week ago when he left Lansing to take a position at Ithaca High School.  His last act as Athletic Director was to interview and recommend the hiring of the coaches for the 2008 - '09 school year.

Before the vote board member Richard Thaler said he had received phone calls questioning the hiring process, particularly as it effected the head football coach position.  Bob Brantner is slated for that position this year, following in the footsteps of Redmond, who coached football last year.  Brantner is married to High School Principal Michelle Brantner.  But Superintendent Stephen Grimm assured the board that the principal had no involvement in the hiring process, and that in the absence of a new athletic director Brantner will be reporting directly to Grimm.

"I know that Mr. Redmond took it very seriously," Grimm said.  "He was replacing himself, choosing a successor to his own role.  I talked to the high school principal to ask how she would feel  about it, and she said she was not part of the process at all and wanted Ed to handle it exclusive from her.  If that is the best thing for our kids she would be OK with it."


Last week Principal Brantner explained to the Star that not only was Redmond handling the task of filling the coach positions, but that she has her hands full preparing for the coming school year.  "There is a lot of stuff happening and once sports season starts gearing up there are a lot of things that need to be done," she said.  "I have a lot of things that need to be done in my own role -- I can't take on that role as well."

Brantner was one of only two applicants for the position, and the one recommended by Redmond.  He was the head coach for modified football last year, and coached while teaching at Union Springs.

"Honestly, as a former football coach I am a little bit surprised that we didn't get more people applying for the position," Grimm sais.  "Although I know that some of our staff followed Ed to Ithaca.  So that was part of it.  It's a big hit when you lose about 80% of your complete football staff."

Because the Athletic Director will also be the Assistant Principal Grimm was careful to stress that the line of authority goes from coaches to the Athletic Director to the Superintendent.  He said that if there was any issue the line could be adapted so that the Assistant Principal half of that person also report to him.  "She was definitely not involved in (the hiring)," Grimm said.  "In advance, proactively she made it known she did not want to have anything to do with it.  We want to make sure our processes are open, and that we try to get as many applicants as possible."

Redmond also coached baseball at Lansing for 23 years.  At this point there is no replacement.  Adam Heck will return as head boys basketball and soccer coach, with Stuart Dean leading girls basketball.  Doug Volbrecht returns as head bowling coach, Heather Miller in Cross-Country, Matt Loveless in Golf, Lamar Peters in girls soccer, Brian Vaughan will be head boys swimming coach for the second year, Diane Hicks-Hughes returns as girls swimming head coach, Cindy Wright in tennis, Matt Scheffler in indoor track, Amy O'Brien in volleyball, and Doug Dake in wrestling.

The board unanimously approved all the recommendations, which included many other positions including sports, other extra-curricular positions, and co-curricular ones.

Grimm says that interviews are scheduled for August 7th to fill the Assistant Principal / Athletic Director position.  The hope is to have an interim Athletic Director in place as soon as possible if a permanent one can't be found right away.

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