Fort principal hired as new Parkway AD

ROCKFORD - The current Fort Recovery Middle School principal will become Parkway Local Schools' new athletic director.

Matthew Triplett was approved as the new athletic director by Parkway school board members at a special meeting Wednesday.

The hiring comes amid many changes in the athletic program. In March, former athletic director Doug Hughes, head football coach Dan Cairns, head boys' varsity basketball coach Rick Hickman and head girls' golf coach Eric Stachler all resigned. Head volleyball coach Jeff Marbaugh did not receive a new contract.

In April, the board hired Hughes as head boys' basketball coach, Shane Wellman as head football coach, Terri Samples as head girls' golf coach and Jordan Henkle as head volleyball coach.

Along with learning to match the new names with their new positions, Triplett said he plans to learn as much as he can about the Parkway program once he begins training with Hughes in June.

"Just to get involved and find out what's going on, where we need help and what's going well, and obviously doing everything we can to continue that," he said. "I plan to find out how I can match my strengths to some of the needs of the district."

Triplett has coaching experience at a high school and college level and has strong ties to the area.

"My wife is from here and I know a lot of people in this area," he said. "It's a solid school district, and it was a chance to work closer to home."

Puthoff said Triplett was hired from among 69 applicants by an interviewing committee.

"We thought he was the perfect fit for our community. His kids go here, he lives here," he said. "We want someone who will be here not for one or two years but for the long term. That's important because if you start building a program and leave, that doesn't help us much. We look for the best and we think Matt is the best."

Triplett said he's always had an interest in the job.

"I've always went the principal route but athletic director is something that I have been interested in and it's very similar in a lot of aspects to being a principal," he said. "With evaluations and working with students and teachers, there are a lot of similarities. What happens on the ball field or court is basically, in my opinion, just an extension of the classroom."

He was also approved for a one-year teaching contract. Puthoff said Parkway typically has the athletic director teach two-three classes in the morning, depending on needs and then focus on athletic director work in the afternoons.

Triplett said he looks forward to working at Parkway.

"There's a great thing going here," he said. "I'm excited to find a way to come in and help out wherever I can."