HOWARD – The construction of a new 7–12 building is hardly the only change at East Knox.
The school will have a new athletic director, girls basketball coach and bowling coach when the bell rings for the first day of school this fall.
Athletic director Scott Brickner leaves Knox Morrow Athletic Conference rival Mount Gilead, where he served for two years, to take over the same position at East Knox.
“I’ve heard a lot of positive things about East Knox in my time at Mount Gilead,” Brickner said. “I could also see it when we played them. I thought they played hard and they were disciplined. I thought they played with sportsmanship and class when I watched them, so for me that’s a huge deal.”
“(Aaron) White has chosen to seek greener pastures elsewhere,” East Knox superintendent Steve Larcomb said. “We’ll certainly miss him. He’s done a great job for us over the last five years. He’s just ready for the next challenge.”
Larcomb wasn’t sure what that next challenge would be for White, and White didn’t respond to repeated messages left by the Mount Vernon News.
Brickner previously served as athletic director at Marion Pleasant for four years.
“Scott immediately rose to the top of the pile,” Larcomb said. “He’s got extensive administrative experience and athletic director experience. He’s just a great all-around package that will blend right in with the administrative team quickly and seamlessly. His vast experience and his connections with the KMAC are going to be nothing but good for us.”
Mandy Todd, who served as an assistant coach for Chip Pozderac last season, takes over as the new girls basketball coach. Pozderac moves over to head the bowling program.
“Coach Pozderac informed us at the end of the (winter) season that she was going to go in a different direction and take some time for herself,” Larcomb said. “Then the bowling position (opened up), and she jumped right on that. Poz does an awful lot of things for us on numerous levels. She really is — in many ways — the heartbeat of the building. So we’re excited that she applied.”
Additionally, Cody Reese, who also serves as the school’s football coach, was named the new high school and middle school principal.
Brickner and Reese were approved by the school board on June 17, and Pozderac and Todd were approved on May 13.
Todd was an assistant coach at Mansfield Christian prior to East Knox.
“We hired (Mandy Todd as a kindergarten teacher) a year ago,” Larcomb said. “We’re excited to have her on board to continue to build the program that Coach Pozderac has established over the last few years.”
Pozderac leaves the girls basketball program as one of the most successful coaches in school history. She finished 39-54 in four seasons, getting the team into the district round in 2020. The Bulldogs swept rival Danville last season for the first time since the 2011–12 season.
“She’s done a fabulous job,” Todd said. “It’s really exciting because we felt like the program is headed in a really good direction right now. We’ve got a lot of girls that are interested, and a lot of girls are showing up to a lot of things — and a lot of girls with talent. So we’re really excited about it. I’m really fortunate to step into a program that’s headed in a good place.”
Todd played for the Bulldogs the last time they got out of the sectional round in 1997. Fellow East Knox alum Mattea Forshey joins Todd’s staff as her assistant.
With the bowling program, Pozderac sees an opportunity to build something special. The Bulldogs return Will Jensen, who just missed making district last season as a freshman.
“They’ve had a hard time fielding a team,” Pozderac said. “Will Jensen was KMAC Bowler of the Year. But they were losing matches because they didn’t have kids to score as a team. Bowling is a lifelong sport and (the kids) will have a lot of fun with it. (When the job came open), my thought was I can build this team.”
With all of this and renovations to some of the athletic facilities, it’s an exciting time to be at East Knox, Brickner said.
“There’s no question that things are going in the right direction,” he said. “Kids are enthusiastic. They want to be a part of all this, and I want them to be involved in this.”
