FREDERICKTOWN — Adam Brown may want to invest in a couch or a comfortable chair. He’ll be spending some long days at Fredericktown High School in the early going.
Brown was approved as the new athletic director and assistant principal by the school board in a special meeting Monday night.
“I’m probably going to a busy man — at least at first — until I can figure everything out. I would imagine that I’ll have to move into the office,” he joked.
“I’m just ready to get started,” Brown added. “I’m just trying to figure some things out with all of the craziness going on right now.”
“It’s definitely uncertain times,” Brown said. “There’s definitely not a playbook or manual on how to do things. I’m definitely going to have to lean on some of those ADs with more experience in the (Knox Morrow Athletic Conference) — bounce some ideas off one another and try to come up with a plan along with the Fredericktown administration and coaches. It’s definitely interesting times for sure.
“The transition is going to be pretty quick. (The Ohio High School Athletic Association) is still saying … they’re still ready to start (Aug. 1). So, I definitely gotta get some things figured out there in the next couple of days.”
He takes over for Nate Bellman, who resigned in June after a little more than four years in the position.
“(Brown has) got a big job ahead of him,” Fredericktown principal Brent Garee said. “He’s already started reaching out to the athletic directors in the KMAC. Right now, we at Fredericktown and the KMAC are proceeding like we are going to have a fall season. We’re organizing and finishing up the schedule and we are looking at regulations. That’s going to be a big part of Adam’s job this year is working with other athletic directors, just deciding what to do if there’s an outbreak of COVID-19 and how the league is going to handle that. It’s just so many unknowns.
Brown, who lives in Bellville, was attracted to the position because of the community.
“The reputation of Fredericktown and the community,” Brown said. “They’re supportive of their schools, students and athletics. All of the good things that I’ve heard throughout my life about Fredericktown. When I went to different events there, I just liked that community. It really makes you feel like family. That was really the big draw there.”
Brown got the nod above 17 others that initially applied for the position. Five were interviewed and three were given to a hiring committee.
“What we really liked was his administrative experience and his middle school experience for the assistant principal portion of his job,” Garee said. “His love of his kids, in general, and all of the experience that he has — both as an athlete and a coach and as middle school teacher and administrator.”
He spent the last four years as a student support service specialist at Galion, moving into the administrative role after teaching science and mathematics at the middle school and elementary school levels.
Brown’s athletic experience comes as an assistant football coach. He coached five seasons as a varsity assistant at Clear Fork, including one as a defensive coordinator.
He spent one season as defensive coordinator and one as a varsity assistant at Greenwich South Central, one season as an assistant coach and one season as track coach at Licking Valley Middle School and three seasons as a middle school football coach at Clear Fork Middle School.
“Even though I don’t have that athletic director experience, I’ve always loved athletics — especially high school,” Brown said. “That’s just the most pure form. They’re doing it because that’s what they want to do and it’s fun. They’re doing it with their friends.
“I just enjoy all sports. Football is my main background, but I love competition and being a part of that. I’m just really looking forward to that.”
The hiring is a big weight off of Garee’s shoulders.
“This year, with the restructuring of Fredericktown, I’m going to be taking on the middle school principalship as well as the high school,” he said. “I was working as the athletic director for two months. So, it is a huge weight off my shoulders. (Brown is) excited, he’s eager. He’s already gotten started and he just got board approved.”
