Plum seeks to merge AD duties with other events

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, July 13, 2018 | 11:42 PM

Plum could become the second WPIAL high school this summer to replace a longtime athletic director.

The school district is seeking to hire an administrator to handle the duties of both athletic director and student activities coordinator, according to a job description advertised this week. Bob Alpino, the school’s athletic director for the past 17½ years, plans to reapply.

“We are looking to expand the duties and responsibilities associated with the position to create greater efficiencies within our system,” Plum superintendent Brendan Hyland said in an email. “We are also looking to generate some new ideas and perspectives that might come by going through the interview process with the ultimate goal of taking Plum Athletics to an even higher level.”

Plum hired Alpino in January 2001. He previously was an associate athletic director at Duquesne University for 13 years.

The high school has around two dozen varsity teams and ranks among the 20 largest in the WPIAL.

According to the job description, the new position will be asked to “develop the Plum Borough School District Athletic Program into one of the premier athletic programs in the state,” while also overseeing non-sports events such as prom, graduation, dances and pep rallies.

The school board at Baldwin voted June 13 to eliminate its athletic director position entirely and furloughed Vince Sortino, a 28-year district employee. The athletic director duties there were expected to be handled by another school administrator.

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.