SKHS athletic director retiring

Although not yet official, South Kitsap Athletic Director Steve Reischman has announced he will resign his position effective June 30.

Reischman made the announcement to the school last week and will officially tender his resignation to the school district later this month.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a good portion of the year,” Reischman said. “Just kind of looking at the options that are available.”

Reischman’s resignation brings an end to a 30-year career with the South Kitsap School District.

He began as a student teacher in 1974 and spent time in both the physical education and science departments and was involved in athletics the entire time.

Reischman, who was brought to South by former football coach Ed Fisher, spent more than 25 years as a football assistant and worked under wrestling coach Larry McGuire for seven seasons.

This will be Reischman’s sixth year as an athletic director, the first three as the building AD and the final three as the district AD, a position he expanded over the course of his time.

“He’s a bulldog as far as work ethic,” South Kitsap principal Dave Colombini said. “He’s been there to support and encourage and he’s not afraid to call you down when he sees something that needs to be corrected. And he does it with care and he does it with love, and he’s a great guy and I am going to miss him dearly.”

Colombini said he would like to see the position filled as soon as possible.

“It’s a huge job and a huge responsibility,” Colombini said. “(We’d like to get someone) as soon as possible, as soon as we can get the wheels turning here.”

Reischman said one of the biggest joys in his career was the state championship the football team won in 1994 but added he’s enjoyed the whole experience.

And he’s not done yet.

“I don’t know if I like the word retirement because I’m young enough that I can look at maybe doing some other things,” Reischman said. “I’m not sure what that might be yet. We might take a little time and travel a little bit and do a few things that I haven’t been able to do in the last number of years.

“But retirement, I’m not one to sit on the couch and watch TV,” Reischman said. “I’m pretty active and like to do things, build things and go places.”

After Reischman announced his resignation, word spread quickly around the school.

“I’m sorry to see him go,” South football coach D.J. Sigurdson said. “But it’s also congratulations to him. He did a fantastic job, both as a teacher and a coach and in his current position, too. That’s the type of guy he is. He made a difference.”

Sigurdson said he would not be a candidate for the AD position at this time.

Reischman departs with his athletic program in great shape and has enjoyed the ride, he said.

“I’ve done a few things along the way,” Reischman said. “I’ve been to a lot of places and had a lot of great experiences with people. It’s a good place to be. I’ve had a good run here. We’ve had some great teams and good people.”

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