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November 14, 2009

SPORTING NEWS: New Neshannock ADs plan to work in tandem

By Todd Krise

One will work during the day, the other at night.

That — in a nutshell — is the proposed plan Bob Burkes and Rob Nogay hope to install as Neshannock Township School District’s co-athletic directors. The duo was hired Thursday by the Neshannock Township School Board in an 8-0 vote to replace Gary Weimer, who resigned effective Oct. 31.

It also is the plan Superintendent Dr. Mary Todora likes the best.

“They would share the responsibilities,” she said. “They would share the time commitment. They have it organized down to a T how they are going to handle specific problems like if we have a rain delay or game cancellation.”

But how are they going to do that?

“Phone calls, e-mailing and text messaging,” Burkes said. “I think with technology hopefully we can move it along through that.”

Burkes and Nogay both will have access to the athletic director’s e-mail to help control the school’s 39 athletic programs, which is the most of any Lawrence County school district.

Burkes’ eighth-grade son, David, plays football, basketball and baseball, which will allow the elder Burkes to watch his son and work at the same time.

Although Burkes had been hired to join the coaching staff of Neshannock’s girls basketball team under new coach Luann Grybowski, the AD position will prevent him from fulfilling that commitment.

Nogay, on the other hand, will work during the day and between classes. Burkes explained that Nogay, a social studies teacher at Neshannock High, has more access to a computer and will handle e-mail requests appropriately.

Burkes, a mathematics teacher at the high school, will take over when the bell rings.

“They looked at their schedules within the classroom and they’ve got periods where they’re going to be free to be able to do this without having an impact (on their teaching),” Todora said. “My biggest concern was impact on instructional time. I do not want their athletic director position interfering with the classroom.”

Said Burkes, “That’s what we’ll do for now until we get through it and see what’s involved. We think flexibility is the best thing. If someone can’t do it then the other one can step in.”

Todora explained that since both men have a master’s degree in education and a principal certification, executive decisions can be made without going to a higher authority.

“And we support that,” Todora said. “They both have a background in sports, so they know the rules and regulations. They know our kids and our expectations. It was a win-win situation for us.”

Neshannock becomes the only school in the county with co-athletic directors. However, most other schools employ either assistant athletic directors or game managers.

New Castle AD Sam Flora said he had a co-athletic director when he was hired in 1999. But the situation quickly was absorbed into one position.

“I think, yes, we did need it,” Todora said about two athletic directors. “But I also do think it could set a precedent with other schools.”

When the Neshannock Township School Board meets in April, it will evaluate its dual-athletic director system and decide whether to keep the current arrangement.

Burkes, 49, and Nogay, 35, have taught at Neshannock High for a combined 27 years. Each will earn $8,011 as co-ADs. Weimer’s salary for 2009-10 was $22,889.

“We were thinking about getting Gary some help ... but it wasn’t the same situation,” Todora said. “Probably, it could have been the same situation, but Gary would have been the athletic director and had an assistant. These two people are both our athletic directors.”

Burkes and Nogay have a similar past.

Burkes, a former Union athlete who graduated in 1979, coached the Scotties’ baseball program for 10 years. His last season at Union came in 1995.

Nogay, a 1992 Union grad, played baseball under Burkes. Nogay competed in football and basketball as well.

Nogay, a son of former Laurel High athletic director Don Nogay, also was Neshannock’s head football coach from 2001-06, compiling a 15-44 record with one winning season. The Lancers made the WPIAL playoffs once under Nogay’s guidance.

Both Westminster College graduates, Burkes earned a degree in accounting in 1983, while Nogay achieved an education degree in 1997. Burkes earned his teaching degree from Geneva College in 1993.

In July 2008, both gained a master’s degree in education from Duquesne University with a principal certification.

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