Get to know new ADs: Four local high schools change athletic leadership

With official practices for all fall sports on the horizon, a number of new athletic directors are gearing up for the upcoming school year.

Ethan Kagy (Dalton), Chad Spurlock (Loudonville), Ben Kobus (Norwayne) and Andrew Johnson (Waynedale) all have officially been selected to lead their respective school districts in recent weeks and area poised to begin the new sports season.

Additionally, after serving as co-AD at Triway with Pat Honza since 2020, Justin McDowell assumes the role. Honza, a longtime coach and teacher in the district, will handle all middle school athletics for the Titans.

Below is a quick look at each of the new ADs throughout Ashland and Wayne County:

Ethan Kagy, Dalton

Kagy is no stranger to small towns like Dalton. Growing up in Bloomville, a village outside of Tiffin with a population of less than a 1,000, he was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and track at Tiffin Columbian High School before graduating in 2009. Kagy went on to continue his football career at the University of Toledo, where he got a degree in physical education.

And it was that familiar tightknit community feel that drew the 34-year-old to becoming the Bulldogs next AD,

“One of the things that interested me most about this position was the opportunity to work in a community that reminded me a lot of where I grew up,” “said Kagy, who had been teaching and coaching at Perry High School since 2015. “The Dalton community presents many of the same qualities and characteristics (as Bloomville). Also, the ability to work in athletics is ultimately where I wanted to end up in my career and I am very grateful that I get to begin in such a special place like Dalton where athletics receive a tremendous amount of support from community members.”

Kagy takes over an athletic department that saw the football program make an historic run to the Division VII title game last season and a boys basketball program that made a regional appearance, along with runner-up league finishes by the boys basketball, wrestling and softball teams.

“The consistency of all our athletic programs is what stood out to me,” Kagy said. “From fall to spring, our athletic programs are consistently competing for league championships and beyond. My plan for the program overall is to continue pushing it in the positive direction it has been heading over a number of years.”

Chad Spurlock, Loudonville

A familiar name to the area, Spurlock takes over the Loudonville athletic department after Tyler Bates stepped down at the end of the school year.

Spurlock, a former AD at both Smithville and Kingsway Christian, has been working in administration since 2013 and previously coached football, basketball and baseball in stops at Waynedale, Orrville and Smithville.

“I have always been involved in some capacity in my life with sports since I was young,” said Spurlock, a Smithville graduate. “Being in sports builds different characteristics and life skills in a student-athlete. Becoming a high school AD gives me the opportunity to stay connected and watch that happen.”

The Redbirds will begin their first full season competing as a member of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference this fall after being an affiliate member of the league for the past four years in wrestling and last fall in football.

Spurlock, who had been an assistant principal and AD at Kingsway for the past two school years, is excited to be a part of that future in a community similar to the ones he had already been a part of.

“Loudonville stood out to me because of the community support and the leadership in place in the schools,” he said. “Loudonville historically has had great competitive teams and athletes. I am happy to be part of a school district that values its athletic program, and I am excited to be part of Redbird Nation.”

Ben Kobus, Norwayne

On the heels of capturing the Wayne County Athletic League's all-sports trophy for the second straight year, the Norwayne athletic department will have a new leader. Kobus takes over for longtime AD and boys basketball coach Brian West, who will remain a teacher and coach at the school.

A Portage County native, Kobus was a Spanish teacher at Ravenna Southeast High School, where he was a 2007 graduate and member of the football and baseball programs.

Kobus has been an assistant football coach at both Southeast at Mogadore, helping the Wildcats to regional runner-up finishes the past three seasons. He was program's defensive coordinator last fall, guiding a defense that limited opponents to just 11.1 points a night.

“I was initially drawn to Norwayne due to the similarity in size and makeup to the schools that I had experience working at,” Kobus said. “Throughout the interview process and as I researched the district I became very excited about the dedication to athletic and academic success and the strong community support and tradition that existed within the district.

“Simply put, this is a fantastic place to be working with administrators, staff and a community that is devoted to providing great opportunities to our students.”

And the Bobcats have had their share of success, especially this past school year as it won four county championships (boys soccer, boys basketball, baseball, boys track) and was runner-up in four other sports (football, girls soccer, boys cross country, girls track).

“The standout factor to me about Norwayne athletics was the community support and the standard of excellence that already existed within the district,” said Kobus, who thanked West for helping in the transition. “To grow our program, I feel that it is my responsibility to provide support and latitude to our coaches so that they may manage and lead their programs to the best of their abilities.”

Andrew Johnson, Waynedale

After spending over a decade in education, most recently serving as a consultant for the Tri-County Educational Service Center, Johnson assumes his first athletic director position with the Golden Bears.

Johnson, a 34-year-old Dalton resident, replaces Zach Golec, who left to take the same position at Indian Valley.

“Waynedale boasts a strong academic and athletic history, with a rich tradition and an incredibly supportive community,” Johnson said. “We have an athletic program that promotes community, school spirit, and academic achievement.

“I look forward to upholding the tradition of Waynedale excellence in academics and athletics.”

Johnson is no stranger to the area has he was a two-sport standout at Orrville where he participated in football and track. He then went on to earn degrees from both the University of Akron and Walden University.

One of the top priorities for Johnson is continuing the strong winning tradition of the Golden Bears, which included the baseball team make its third straight state Final Four appearance earlier this month after capturing the Division III championship in both 2022 and 2023, along with state runs for both the girls basketball and wrestling program in recent years.

In all, Waynedale earned four WCAL championships last year with golf, volleyball, boys cross country and wrestling, along with a handful of second-place finishes.

“We have multiple athletic programs at Waynedale that are truly the gold standard within the state, and being able to support students both academically and through all of our athletic programs is a unique and exciting opportunity,” Johnson said. “Participation in sports teaches students valuable life skills such as leadership, time management, and resilience.

“Combining the aspects of academics and athletics contributes to the development of individuals who will be prepared to meet the needs and challenges of tomorrow.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Get to know new ADs: Four local high schools change athletic leadership