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HIATT |
LaBATT |
After taking a four-year break from head coaching, Brady Hiatt is ready to lead a program again.
Hiatt, who spent 12 highly successful years as the head coach at Mechanicsburg, has been tabbed to take over Bellefontaine’s wrestling squad.
Aaron LaBatt led the Chiefs for the past four seasons. A nonschool employee, his supplemental contract was not renewed at the end of this season after Hiatt applied for the position.
“There have been a lot of emotions involved,” said LaBatt. “It was an unexpected change and there is certainly some disappointment.
At the same time, though, I know Brady will do a great job and take the program to the next level.”
Hiatt stepped down as Mechanicsburg’s coach following the 2013-14 season. He then served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Indians for three seasons, including the state championship campaign of 2016-17.
Hiatt has been a longtime Bellefontaine resident, with his wife working for Bellefontaine City Schools and his two daughters attending school here. He left Mechanicsburg schools last year to accept a teaching position at Bellefontaine High School.
“I still had the desire to be a head coach when I was at Mechanicsburg, but my oldest daughter was on the swim team here at Bellefontaine and I wanted to attend her events,” said Hiatt. “I then became a volunteer assistant coach, but I was still at 99 percent of the practices and 99 percent of the meets. I just had to duck out some to get to my daughter’s swim meets.
“My oldest daughter is graduating now and my younger daughter wanted to be a statistician (for the wrestling team), so now I am able to have the time to dedicate to (being a head coach).”
Read complete story in Wednesday’s Examiner.
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