Bradwell Institute named former cross-country and golf coach Ken Griffin as the high school’s new athletic director. Griffin fills the position once held by former Tiger football coach Jim Walsh.
Walsh had been the school’s athletic director but was relieved of those duties in November 2012 after an administrative decision by Liberty County School System Superintendant Dr. Judy Scherer and BI Principal Scott Carrier. In February, the board of education did not renew Walsh’s football-coach contract. Former Camden County High School defensive coordinator Adam Carter has taken over as the Tigers’ new head coach.
Griffin is entering his 14th year as a business-education and computer-applications teacher at BI. He said he truly feels suited for the position.
“I am a person who believes in a broad picture of an athletic program,” he said. “I believe you shouldn’t have tunnel vision and just look at football or golf or baseball. You have to be able to see how all of the sports work together along with the school. I also like to coordinate a lot of activities.”
Griffin’s first order of business was taking an overall look at Bradwell’s athletic facilities.
“I want to make sure that all our facilities are up to par, that all the equipment is meeting the standards it needs to be. A lot of money has gone toward these facilities and that came from the community, so we want them to be proud of what we have,” he said.
He said he also is making sure the student athletes are meeting their eligibility requirements and that the school is following all the Georgia High School Association’s rules. Failure to comply could cost the school its eligibility to participate in certain sports during the regular or post season, the new AD said.
Unlike Walsh, Griffin will not serve as a head coach while occupying the school’s AD post.
“Mr. Carrier made the decision that when he hired an AD, it would not be a coach of any sport,” Griffin said. “That is not to say that I couldn’t be the assistant coach of a sport, but when you are the head coach of a sport, you have very little time to focus on other sports. Also, you shouldn’t have an allegiance to a particular sport. I can treat everything fairly and that is what I intend to do. I want to make sure that all of the needs for all of the sports are met.”
Griffin attended the football team’s spring practice Wednesday afternoon, where he greeted players and talked briefly to coach Carter. He said the incoming first-year head football coach has reignited the community’s interest in the school’s football program and energized new potential players.
“I think the community has welcomed coach Carter and the community is really looking forward to having a new coach here,” Griffin said. “We have sat down and talked on a number of occasions and anything I have asked for, he has responded to in a timely manner and I try and do the exact same thing for him.”
Griffin said he intends to work closely with all the coaches and school administrator so that everyone has the information they need and concerns can be quickly addressed.
“If you want to have a successful program, you have to make sure everybody works together,” he said.