SESM: No clear-cut candidates for Jund's replacement

NEW ULM -- Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Athletic Director Bruce Woitas said Monday that Jason Jund, who resigned this past week as head football coach at St. Mary's "has done a nice job for us. He was with us four years on the football staff - two years and an assistant and two years as head coach -- and did well."

Jund will teach and be an assistant football coach at Canby High School next year.

Woitas, who now will be looking for the Knights fourth head coach in as many years, said that looking for another new head coach "is a concern when you have that turnover as often as that. But the other thing that you have to keep in mind is that we are a private school and in a lot of cases we get some new people in --and in some situations, those people are choosing to use (St. Mary's) as a starting point and an opportunity to get their feet wet in the teaching and coaching profession and then looking to move on. We have been fortunate that in our other activities that we have had some longevity from coaches. They chose to stay here realizing that they will take less in salary in their teaching profession, but they believe in the school system that we have here and we are fortunate that we have people like that."

He said that there will be situations that arise like that "because they are looking for the next step. Jason was looking for the next step and an opportunity came for him and his wife and he took it so we have to move on again."

Now, Woitas will look to fill Jund's spot with high school football practice starting in two months.

"We had Ron Berdan as head coach for six years and then Brandt Munson took over," said Woitas. "Brandt was here one year as an assistant to Ron -- (Munson) had a good football background and Ron was willing to step aside and let Brandt take the head football job. Ron was an assistant to Brandt and still is an assistant on the staff. That gave Brandt an opportunity to become a head high school football coach. But he only stayed here a little bit before he moved on. Jason had been an assistant to Brandt for two years and then he got the chance to be head coach. Now, two years later, Jason is moving on."

Woitas said that right now, there are no clear-cut candidates to become the next Knights' head football coach.

"(Former head coach) Ron Berdan has indicated that he is interested in returning as head coach," said Woitas. "Whether or not we go that route -- (SESM Principal) Jerry Neubauer likes to do and we like to do is see who we have coming in to fill the (two) teaching openings (social studies and english) that we have. We'll see what kind of backgrounds in coaching they have. Usually if we can help a teacher coming in and get them some extra money in the coaching position. we'd look to do that. But right now, we are just waiting to see what the applications bring in for the teaching positions that we have open."

FOX SPORTS NET NIGHT SATURDAY: The first of a full schedule of sponsor nights at Johnson Park begins this Saturday when the New Ulm Kaiserhoff hosts Albert Lea in a Southern Minny contest beginning at 7:30 p.m. It will be "Fox Sports Net-North Night" at Johnson Park with drawings for t-shirts, hats and headbands courtesy of Fox Sports Net-North in the Twin Cities.

The entire schedule of special nights at Johnson Park will be released this weekend in The Journal. One etched in stone in "Fan Appreciation Night: which will be held Tuesday, July 16 when the New Ulm Brewers host Essig in an 8 p.m. Tomahawk East League contest.

The New Ulm Baseball Association along with Happy Joe's Pizza will give away FREE PIZZA from 6:30 - 7:45 that night in the football concession stand to all fans entering the park.

Other sponsors back this year are Subway Subs, Domino's Pizza, KFC - Taco Bell, KNUJ Radio Night, 1919 Root Beer Night, ARS Night (which has been set for Tuesday, July 9).Park and Rec Night and Happy Joe's Pizza Night. Look for the finalized schedule this weekend.

NACHREINER HIGH PICK FOR 2003: Matt Nachreiner, who pitched for New Ulm VFW Gold two years ago before returning to Texas for the school year, has been ranked high by Baseball America Prospects Plus for the 2003 amateur draft. Nachreiner who pitches for Round Rock High School in Cedar Park, Texas in Cedar Park, Texas, is the 38th ranked player in next year's draft