Durango High School again is on the search for a new athletic director.
Dave Preszler, who held the position the last two school years, announced his plan to leave the position Wednesday. He will accept a new role with Durango School District 9-R in a half-time capacity.
Preszler, who has spent 39 years in athletics including more than 20 at Fort Lewis College, Bayfield High School and Durango High School, said the demanding hours the position has required have taken their toll, and he wanted to step away before it became too much.
“I’m not a young chicken anymore,” Preszler said. “I really have to get a chance to take a gulp of air and catch my breath a bit. I’m blessed and lucky enough to have the district still want to hold onto me.”
Preszler will finish the school year in his current position before transitioning into a new role. He still plans to be involved in making sure DHS is able to complete a new stadium project that will include a new track and football field.
He also hopes to work on a new job description for the next athletic director so the position can become more manageable.
“It’s fair to say the position is pretty intensive,” he said. “We have to find a way to make it more manageable or else in two years somebody else is going to be having the same conversation.”
Preszler announced his decision Wednesday in hopes the district will have ample time to find the right fit as a replacement.
“Any time you change the leadership in any aspect of the school, it’s a cause for some anxiety,” DHS principal Leanne Garcia said. “ “He’s leaving big shoes to fill for sure. ... Dave’s really set up a good framework that supports coaches and athletes.”
Preszler replaced Roxanne Perrin in 2014. Perrin spent less than one year on the job after replacing Sheldon Keresey. Before going to DHS, Preszler served as the athletic director and assistant principal at Bayfield High School for eight years. Before that, Preszler was the athletic director at Fort Lewis College for five years.
He has spent 18 years working in collegiate athletics and another 21 at the high school level.
At DHS, Preszler oversaw 23 athletic programs with more than 790 student participants. He also oversaw more than 40 extracurricular clubs. He’s also had to fill seven head coaching vacancies, a task that has become increasingly more difficult at the high school level.
“We are grateful to have individuals like Dave serve our students and our district,” 9-R superintendent Dan Snowberger said in a news release. “Dave has done a great job in formalizing processes and developing ‘team’ in our athletics and activities program at the high school. We are excited that he is willing to continue to support us in the transition at DHS and assist us with unifying our district’s sixth-12th grade athletics and activities programs on a part-time basis moving forward.”
Garcia said DHS hopes to have a new athletic director in place by May with the goal to make a hire as soon as possible.
“I think the next AD, the relational piece is really important,” Preszler said. “It’s important that relate well with students, coaches, administrators and the community. I hope they believe in the quality purpose to what we do, and I hope they have a ton of energy and a get-up-and-go personality. I feel positive a good individual is going to come that will be a good fit for us and the Durango area.”
Herald staff writer Ann Butler contributed to this report.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
