Jul 09, 2021

Bishop LeBlond selects Mitch Girres as next athletic director

Posted Jul 09, 2021 10:16 AM
Mitch Girres (far right) just helped the Bishop LeBlond boys' golf team win a state championship in Class 1 in May. He'll now be the school's next athletic director.
Mitch Girres (far right) just helped the Bishop LeBlond boys' golf team win a state championship in Class 1 in May. He'll now be the school's next athletic director.

By TOMMY REZAC

St. Joseph Post

Bishop LeBlond has a new athletic director. The high school has appointed current boys’ basketball and boys’ golf coach Mitch Girres to be the Eagles’ next A.D.

Girres succeeds Michael Evans, who stepped down after five years in the post.

Girres has been the head coach of Eagles’ boys basketball since 2016, and just concluded his first season as the boys’ golf coach, helping the Eagles win their fourth state title in the last five years.

Girres will continue to coach both teams. He says his experience as a head coach can help him work with the other coaches at the school.

"Because I know how hard they work and how dedicated they are to our student-athletes," he said. "It's just something for me that will be very rewarding, because it's something I love and something I love to do and I'm very excited for it."

Over the last five years, LeBlond has won six state titles, including three in boys' golf, two in dance and one in boys' soccer. Add to that six individual state champions, 18 combined Final Four finishes for teams and individuals, 19 district championships and seven conference titles.

Girres simply hopes he can help keep LeBlond's momentum going.

"It's going to be hard to follow, because we've had a really good run these last couple of years," he said. "Really, what I have to do is empower these coaches and let them do what they do best, and that is motivate and get their kids to do the right thing and play the right way, and hopefully I can do that."

LeBlond also announced Kimberly Huss will be the new principal, while David Lamble has been hired as assistant principal. Lamble had been a basketball and soccer coach at St. Pius X in Kansas City.

Huss, meanwhile, has been a track and volleyball coach, as well as a science teacher at LeBlond since 2004.