www.eagletimes.com
Brigham out, Saypack in to head athletics in Springfield By KATY SAVAGE ksavage@eagletimes.com 1 hr ago 0 SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The Springfield High School Cosmos have a new interim athletic director in the midst of spring sports season. Rich Saypack replaced Cagney Brigham as athletic director for the Springfield School District this week. Brigham had been with the district less than a year before leaving May 10. It is unclear why Brigham, whose annual salary was $52,000. is no longer with the school system. Both Brigham and Superintendent Zach McLaughlin declined to comment on the change. Brigham was formerly the athletic director at Bellows Falls Middle School before coming to Springfield. He is currently listed as an assistant baseball coach on Keene State College’s website. “As a district, we are committed to trying to seamlessly support our student athletes through the transition,” McLaughlin said in a statement. Saypack started his new role on Monday. “They called and said, ‘Would you like to step in?’” said Saypack. Saypack, 61, is well known to the Springfield athletic community. He has been a coach for both the varsity baseball and football teams. Saypack was also looking for a change after a recent battle with cancer. He said doctors discovered a tumor “the size of a softball” in his kidneys in February. That after Saypack returned home from attending a Springfield High School basketball game and felt pain in his stomach. He underwent surgery in March, which he said successfully removed the tumor. “I got lucky,” he said. Saypack has long coached football in Vermont and other states. He did not coach baseball this year due to the cancer. He said he’ll likely have to stop coaching football with his new position. “Certainly, this is a job where coaching and (being) an AD doesn’t go hand in hand,” he said. “Coaches expect a certain amount of time from their AD.” Saypack was settling into the rhythm of spring sports schedules when contacted on Wednesday. “Spring sports for an AD is the worst,” he said, explaining the need to reschedule games due to weather. McLaughlin said the district is not currently looking for a new athletic director. “Our intention is that Rich will take us at least through the next school year,” he said.
What's the story here? Why the hush hush here? Let's hear the reason the AD is gone so soon!
ReplyDeleteTotalitarian Zac at it again. Didn’t know you can just fill a position and not even post it. Perhaps the school board should do the same to him.
ReplyDelete"Our intention is that Rich will take us at least through the next school year,” he said. Shoot, you'd be crazy to let Rich walk. You won't find many other Springfield residents that know how to help young men and women develop, compete, and win. Sometimes the best solutions have been right in front of us all along.
ReplyDelete