The selection process for the new athletic director at Austin High School is drawing to a close and so is the title.

Wednesday, March 31, 1999

The selection process for the new athletic director at Austin High School is drawing to a close and so is the title.

Austin Public Schools superintendent Dr. J. Douglas Myers and the five other members of the selection committee have narrowed down the choice to four names, but the candidate chosen will have more responsibilities and duties.

"The job description has expanded," Myers said.

Myers said the new athletic director should actually be referred to as "activities director."

Besides coordinating all of the athletic events and teams at AHS, Myers said the new administrator will be in charge of "speech, theater, music" and "all other extra circular school sponsored activities.

"We had some activities that weren’t under any direct administrational supervision," Myers said. "We wanted to make sure that those activities get the attention they need."

Myers added that the new position will take some of the responsibilities off AHS principal Julie Espe, who is currently in charge of all other non-sports school related activities.

"My goal is to have some one to recommend for the school board meeting April 21," Meyers said. "We hope to have al the background checks done by then."

Myers added that there will be no more interviews for the position but the selection committee still would like to talk to more members of the communities the candidates hail from.

Myers said the new activities director will start July 1 but possibly could begin working earlier depending on his or her schedule. Ideally, Myers said he would like to see the new administrator work a few weeks with longtime educator Don Fox, who is retiring at the end of the spring semester after serving as athletic director on an interim basis for the past year.

The committee started with 10 candidates and narrowed it down to six finalists after the first interview. Myers said the committee had chosen to remaining candidates after the second set of interviews Monday.