Just before students and staff left for spring break last year, baseball and girls golf coach Matt Ortman found out he would replace Athletic Director Bob Whitehead. Ortman, who will also serve as an assistant principal, coached baseball for 13 years and girls tennis for two years.
Ortman said he saw the open position as an opportunity to work more closley with the current BV staff. He said he specifically looks forward to working more with Principal Scott Bacon.
“[Bacon] has been very instrumental in my entire educational experience and was one of the big reasons why I got into education,” Ortman said.
As Athletic Director, Ortman will oversee all of the athletic programs at BV, as well as hire and evaluate coaches.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to get out and watch all the sporting events,” Ortman said. “That will definitely be the most enjoyable part for me.”
Because of his new position, Ortman began to see changes in his routine early in the summer.
“I haven’t been up at the school as much doing weights and workouts,” Ortman said. “When I have been [at BV], it’s been in the office and on the computer.”
The baseball players Ortman once coached said they felt his absence over the summer, but were happy he was given the job.
“I was surprised and a little skeptical about the future,” senior Brendan Janes said. “But I was also very happy that he was able to land such a big job.”
Ortman said his job is difficult when he doesn’t know how his predecessors have handled it.
“I’m just trying to figure out how we’ve done it in the past and trying to continue to do it that way,” Ortman said. “I spent the month of June shadowing Mr. Whitehead, just going through all of the stuff he’s been doing.”
Ortman won two state championships and finished second at State last year as coach of the baseball team. His players are confident he will be able to spread that success to all sports.
“I think he will make every program better as opposed to just making a great baseball team,” Janes said.
Although Ortman said he is excited about his new position, he said he will miss coaching baseball and the relationships he has developed with his players.
“Not being around them quite as often,” Ortman said, “I’ll definitely miss that the most.”