The search is on once again to fill the Brandon varsity hockey coaching position.
At the Aug. 8 Brandon Board of Education meeting, the board announced the resignation of Kevin Hess, who was hired in July as a science teacher and varsity hockey coach at Brandon High School.
Hess was an assistant coach at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s for three years under head coach Brian Klanow, and also taught biology at St. Mary’s.
In his resignation letter, Hess said while he appreciated the offer to come to Brandon, he said he ‘will not be coming to Brandon High School to teach science and coach,? but instead will return to St. Mary’s, ‘where my extended family and heart truly is. I want to stay where I’ll be happy.?
‘Apparently, he decided he wasn’t going to be happy here,? Brandon athletic director Larry Lamphere said.
Hess could not be reached for comment as of press time.
Brandon school board president Beth Nuccio said the varsity hockey coaching position was posted ‘not too long after his resignation was given.?
Lamphere said the Brandon athletic department will be accepting new applications, and will also contact those people who applied for the job previously after former coach Brian Moore resigned following the 2004-05 season.
‘With the start of the school year, it probably will be until mid-September before we have someone on board,? Lamphere said.
Hess was hired to replace Moore, who coached the team for the first five years of its existence. Moore stepped down after leading the Blackhawks to their third straight Division 3 quarterfinal appearance.
Moore complied a 70-59-7 record as the Brandon hockey coach, including a 25-2-1 record during the 2004-05 season.
With Hess as an assistant, he Eaglets won their first-ever state hockey championship March 12 by defeating Flint Powers 3-1 at Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth, capping off a 20-6-3 season.
In Hess? other two years at St. Mary’s as an assistant, the Eaglets went 22-4-1 in the 2003-04 season and 20-3-3 in the 2002-03 season.
Lamphere said the likelihood of a new coach being hired about 1-1/2 months before hockey practices begin Nov. 1 should not be a detriment to the team.
He said except for holding conditioning sessions, hockey coaches are limited in how much time they can spend with their players before hockey practice officially begins.
‘They’re only allowed to work with three athletes at a time from the beginning of the school year to the start of the season,? he said.