Four Glass coaches resign

Four E.C. Glass varsity head coaches have stepped down and their successors named for the 2008-09 school year while four others recently received Western Valley District coach of the year honors this spring.

Hilltoppers athletic director Chip Berry announced the hiring of three new winter coaches Saturday as well as his own replacement after completing his 30th season as the boys soccer this spring.

Girls basketball coach Mark Smith, whose wife recently had their first child, resigned to seek private business opportunities. He will be replaced by former Holy Cross and Jefferson Forest girls coach Charles Sprouse, who will be assisted by Van Porter.

Boys and girls swim coach Aaron Mabery, a graduate of Brookville and William & Mary, has stepped down to return to school to pursue a master’s degree in educational leadership. He will be replaced by Jerry Salmon, a history teacher at Glass who was the indoor and outdoor track and field coach at Virginia Episcopal School the past two years. Salmon has coached Boonsboro’s swim team in the Lynchburg Aquatic League for a number of years.

Wrestling coach Chris Lukanich, who was instrumental in forming the Hilltopper Wrestling Club as a feeder program and getting wrestling started in the city’s middle schools, also plans to pursue an advanced degree as well as getting married in November. Bert Horsley, his assistant and a former college football player and wrestler who has also coached the football team’s lineman in recent years, will take over the reins of the varsity team.

Berry, who relinquished coaching the JV basketball team upon accepting the AD position at Glass in 2006, will now concentrate on transitioning Glass’ athletic program from the Western Valley District in Group AAA into the Seminole District in Group AA starting the fall of 2009. Longtime assistant Randy Turille, who played soccer at Glass and is now AD at Holy Cross, will assume Berry’s post as well as coaching the Gaels’ boys team in the fall.

Hilltoppers director of tennis Jill Murray was selected as Western Valley District girls tennis coach of the year, Darien McClurg was named WVD girls soccer coach of the year, Rodney Smith was tapped as WVD boys and girls track coach of the year and boys tennis coach Ed Dawson was named WVD and Northwest Region coach of the year.