The Burnet Consolidated Independent School District is searching for its next athletic director to replace the outgoing AD.
Steve Hale, who accepted the job last year, resigned.
“We opened up the position last Wednesday (May 14),” said Aaron Peña, Burnet CISD superintendent. “We are in the 10-day waiting period (that is part of the process for state positions). As far as applications, we have over 20 at this point. We’re starting to review the applications.”
The school district also is searching for other head coaches.
But one has accepted the job of swimming and diving head coach.
He is Conner McBurnett, the son of Burnet CISD former superintendent Keith McBurnett.
Conner McBurnett “has been coaching swimming for the University of North Texas and has served as the swim instructor for Frisco ISD,” Pena said.
Before announcing the hire, Pena said the school district offered the position to someone who has already been a coach and swam on the collegiate level.
Pena assembled a panel that includes Burnet Middle School Principal Jennifer Caropepe, Burnet High School Principal Casey Burkhart, Burnet CISD Human Resources Director Michele Gilmore, and “several head coaches of different sports.”
He noted this individual must work with a variety of people in athletics and academics.
“We want a cross section of experiences,” he said. “If the best candidate emerges, we’ll go from there. We may have several candidates who rise to the top. We’ll pull two or three back for a final interview.”
While the last two men who had this position also served as the school district’s safety officer, the superintendent said the new hire won’t have that duty.
“This will be strictly athletics,” he said, adding the school district hired Dwayne Kyle as its chief of security. “We are in the process of creating a Burnet CISD Police Department. (Safety officer) is in the area of his responsibilities.”
Pena said the panel is looking for the person who has “the experience and perspective that could be a benefit to us here at Burnet Consolidated Independent School District.”
“We are making the paper cut,” he said. “We will look and scour the applications, cover letters and resumes.”
The superintendent is hoping to have this person hired by mid June at the latest.
“Hopefully we find our absolute best person,” he said.
Athletic director is one of several hires the school district is looking to make for the 2025-26 school year. The department still needs to hire head coaches for girls basketball, girls soccer and boys and girls golf, tennis and track.
Burnet Middle School coach Jayci Craig was promoted to softball head coach May 21 and Simon Hairston is the new cross country head coach.
“Coach Hairston is one we’re excited about,” Pena said. “We have many wonderful coaches staying and are moving up, coaches who can develop the talent we have.”
In an ideal world, the new athletic director would be part of the hiring process for those coaches. But with the calendar into late May, the school district simply can’t wait, Pena said.
“The threshold of summer is starting,” he said. “So far we are moving forward with the positions. Some are further along.”
And Pena is more than optimistic about the athletic department, the candidates the panel is interviewing and the future.
“Even though we have coaches leaving, we have fresh faces coming in,” he said. “There’s really no despair. We have lots of folks, who are coming to Burnet.”
Jennifer Fierro publishes reports about area youth athletic events on her website TexasChalk-Talk.com. To send her a note, email fierrojennifer@ yahoo.com
