Jackson hires Notre Dame AD Scott

Jackson High School will name a boys basketball coach this week.

While school officials would not release the name Wednesday night, sources have informed the Southeast Missourian that Notre Dame athletic director and basketball coach Darrin Scott was offered and accepted the position Tuesday night. Scott confirmed that information Wednesday night.

The Jackson Board of Education on Tuesday also heard from a few parents and players in support of former coach Mike Kiehne, who had resigned his position at the end of April.

Jackson superintendent Ron Anderson on Wednesday was not ready to announce the new basketball coach. He said he wanted to "communicate with our candidate" again before making the announcement.

"I have heard so many different names floating around," he said. "I don't know where they're coming from."

Scott, however, said he has accepted the position. In four seasons at Notre Dame, Scott compiled a 66-45 record, including two district titles. His only losing season with the Bulldogs was this past year, when they went 6-20.

He informed officials and his players at Notre Dame on Wednesday.

"It was a tough decision," Scott said. "I weighed the pros and cons. There was a time when I changed my mind back and forth a bunch. Any time you're at a place for four years and you build the kind of relationships I've built, it's tough.

"But I thought this was the best thing for me and my family."

Scott, who will teach math at Jackson High School, said he was originally contacted by Jackson officials following Kiehne's resignation. He cited several reasons for his decision.

"There are numerous reasons," he said. "My retirement was one issue. In this situation, I get my retirement back from the eight years I had in public education. I'll have less extracurricular activities, just teaching match and coaching. I also took on the athletic director position at Notre Dame this year, and that was a big task. This way I'll have more time to spend with my family.

"Also, Jackson has a big tradition and it's a bigger school, and it's a growing district."

Scott and his family already live in Jackson, and his wife, Jana, teaches at South Elementary, where their 7-year-old daughter, McKinzie, is a first-grader. The couple also has daughter Madison, 3, and son Quin, who celebrates his first birthday Monday.

Scott, 34, who attended Fox High School in Arnold, Mo., is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he was a student manager under former coach Ron Shumate. He was an assistant coach at Poplar Bluff High School for six years and a head coach at Greenville High School for two years before coming to Notre Dame.

Scott said the rough season he had with the Bulldogs this past year did not factor into his decision.

"It wasn't a factor," he said. "In high school, you're going to have ups and downs."

Scott said he won't officially begin his teaching duties until August, but he'll start working with Jackson's basketball team this summer during camps and leagues. He's looking forward to getting together with the Indians' returning and prospective players and said a meeting has tentatively been scheduled for Friday.

"I'm anxious to getting going," he said.

Anderson said Jackson officials interviewed multiple candidates for the position.

"We had several good candidates," Anderson said.

Kiehne, who had compiled a 56-51 record in four seasons and a 22-5 record this past year, cited a desire to spend more time with his family as the reason for his resignation.

Among those who had signed a petition in support of Kiehne was Jackson Mayor Paul Sander. On Wednesday, Sander clarified his position to say that his signature was meant to that ensure the process proceeded carefully in regard to making changes.

"We have a great school system, administration and school board in Jackson," he said. "However, I believe a decision of this nature, which affects so many people, deserves a thorough review by the governing body, in this case the school board."