USD 333 boards approves hiring of two new coaches

The Concordia Unified School District 333 board of education approved the hiring a new high school football and track and field coach and a new high school volleyball coach during a special meeting on Wednesday.
Jordan Echer was hired as the new head football coach, head boys and girls track field coach and strength and conditioning teacher.
Echer, who replaces Austin Kingsbury, spent one year as a physical education instructor, head football coach and head track and field coach at Russell High School.
Russell was 3-6 this past season. That included a 42-20 loss to Concordia in Class 3A district play.
Originally from Valley Center, Echer received his masters of education from Fort Hays State University. In transition to teaching, he would serve as a line coach at Valley Center High School.
Echer was the head football coach, assistant activities director and strength and conditioning teacher at Bluestem Junior-Senior High School in Leon for two years. He was also the 7-12 track and field coach for one year.
The board of education accepted the resignation of Kingsbury as strength and conditioning teacher, head football coach and head track and field coach.
Kingsbury accepted a position as an assistant coach at Salina Central High School. He was 14-23 in four years as the head coach.
Former assistant Alison Widen was hired as the new head volleyball coach.
Widen, a 2008 Concordia High School graduate, will replace Rio Brown as the high school volleyball coach.
Brown will remain as a counselor at the Concordia Elementary School.
Widen is a fifth grade teacher at the Concordia Elementary School. She had served as an assistant to Brown.
Also approved during the meeting was the hiring of Bailey Burgess as a counselor for grades 5-12. It is a new position.
The KRERS retirement of Sharon Applebee was accepted, along with the resignation of Laura Krier as assistant high school girls' basketball coach.