Published: June 19, 2015
Jackson principal named West AD
Brian Heimark takes over for Scott Stier
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
Brian Heimark has been named West Bend West athletic
director, the school announced Thursday.
Heimark replaces Scott Stier, who accepted an assistant
principal position at West Bend high schools June 10.
“It’s exciting,” Heimark said. “I’ve been with the West
program in different capacities.
“It’s nice to get (the athletic director’s position) and
continue to be an active part in West Bend athletics.”
Heimark spent the last seven years as principal at Jackson
Elementary School. He will assume athletic director responsibilities Aug. 1.
“He’s very much been a part of West athletics,” West Bend
Superintendent Ted Neitzke said. “He’s coached there for years and is a parent.
He’s going to be a great asset.”
Neitzke added one of the intriguing characteristics for
Stier was he graduated from West, so Spartans blue was something he cherished.
It’s similar for Heimark.
Heimark arrived in West Bend in 1991 as a student teacher.
Then athletic director Jeff Steinbach, who later went on to be the athletic
director at Arrowhead and has since retired, asked Heimark if he could assist
with West’s girls track and field team.
Heimark has been involved in West athletics ever since, even
before he became a fulltime teacher.
Steinbach was a mentor for Heimark.
Heimark coached track and field, crosscountry and wrestling
at various levels throughout the district.
Heimark coached two-time WIAA state champion Megan Duwell in
the 800-meter run (2003 and 2004), a two-time state runnerup in the 1,600 and
26 athletes at the state meet.
He’s also coached cross-country teams that won four
Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championships and advanced to the state meet
five times. Heimark was an assistant West wrestling coach as well.
“Athletics have played a large part in my life,” Heimark
said.
He has a wife, Susan, and three daughters. Elena is at the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. His middle daughter, Nicole, graduated from
West this year and his youngest daughter, Jenna, will be a senior in the fall.
Jenna Heimark was the WLT Gymnast of the Year last season.
Brian Heimark hasn’t waited for the opportunity to be an
athletic director, but admitted this opportunity was hard to pass up.
“It’s always difficult,” he said when asked if it was a
tough decision to leave Jackson. “There’s great things happening at Jackson
Elementary School.”
“It’s something I’ve always had in the back of my mind,”
Brian added. “I’ve coached for a number of years. It’s something, an
opportunity to take the lead and do my best and give it my best shot.”
Neitzke said the district has a succession planning option
for its employees where they can indicate other jobs they might be interested
in if and when they become available.
Heimark indicated being an athletic director was something
he’d be interested in.
Stier did the same thing, but only indicating he wanted to
be in some kind of school leadership role, which he got more than a week ago.
Neitzke said it was nice to have a plan like this in place,
knowing the timing of Stier changing positions within the district.
“At this point in the game, we knew the pool would be pretty
limited,” Neitzke said. “Brian had articulated interest (in being an athletic
director). He’s a great leader; I have great faith in him.
“The pieces fell into place.”
He will lead West through a key moment in school history.
In 2013, Stier, along with then West Bend East Athletic
Director Jeff Rondorf, told the WIAA its preference to leave the WLT in favor
of the North Shore Conference full time.
East and West are members of the North Shore in summer
baseball only.
Earlier this month, the WIAA emailed 45 schools in
southeastern Wisconsin potential plans for conference realignment.
In addition, West’s varsity wrestling coach position is still
vacant.
Brian said he will sit down with Stier to go over where he
is at with those processes and then decide how to proceed.
“I want to keep it rolling,” Brian said.
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