Sturzinger is 'all-in' as Perkins' new athletic director

PERKINS TWP. — Ted Sturzinger Jr. will have the ideal work commute when he takes over as the new athletic director at Perkins High School this summer. "I can literally see the stadium from our back deck," Sturzinger said. "That's how close I am." Sturzinger, who was hired as Perkins' new athletic director last month, has never strayed far from his Perkins roots. He graduated from Perkins in 1996 and played football and baseball for the Pirates. His wife, Lindsey, is a Perkins grad and a former Radio City Rockette. Their three children — Emma, Weston and Brody — are students (and athletes) in the school system. Sturzinger, who has been an assistant principle at Fremont Middle School for two years, previously taught for 10 years in the Perkins system and coached middle school football and baseball. "I taught at Briar Middle School and my daughter (Emma) was a sixth-grader," Sturzinger said. "Back then it was cool to have your dad in the building. Now? We'll see." Emma, a standout in track, will be a freshman at Perkins in the fall. Weston, a three-sport athlete, will be an eighth-grader and Brady will be in third grade. "This is an all-in family job," Sturzinger said. "There's a lot your family has to commit to. My family is ingrained in Perkins. I'm excited to come back and lead our athletic department as an alumnus and a resident." Sturzinger, who began his teaching career at Norwalk Middle School, interviewed for the position in early March and was unanimously approved by the school board on March 10. He will replace Matt Smith, who requested a transfer back to the classroom. Sturzinger, 42, officially starts his new job Aug. 1, but he's already talking with coaches and getting a feel for his department. He's working from home with some trips to Fremont. "Fremont has been great about the whole process," he said. "I wouldn't have left for any other job." Sturzinger has participated in Zoom meetings with his new colleagues and has talked to Perkins coaches, including new football coach Jalen Santoro. "I'm super excited to have him on board," Sturzinger said. "I've heard nothing but good things about him. We have some great coaches and have had so many sports experience success." Sturzinger hopes the Pirates enjoy a strong start in the fall with no delays. The first day of practice for fall sports is Aug. 1. He understands the importance of high school football — including its financial impact. "Your football program can kind of set the tone for the school season. It can build school spirit," he said. "It can really get the ball rolling." Sturzinger's best sport was baseball. He was a standout shortstop for the Pirates and was a senior in Ray Neill's first year leading the program. He also played American Legion ball for Post 83, which is where he was spotted by Eastern Kentucky University at a summer tournament. He played two years at NCAA Division I EKU in Richmond, Kentucky, before finishing at Ashland University, where he got to play in the NCAA Division II World Series. One of his classmates at Ashland was former Perkins football coach Jason Ziegler, who resigned in January after coaching the Pirates for 10 years. "Coach Ziegler is a great guy and worked his butt off for the program," Sturzinger said. "He built relationships with kids as well as anyone." Sturzinger was a graduate assistant baseball coach for one season at Delta State University in Mississippi before landing a job at Norwalk Middle School. He spent five years there before coming back to the Perkins system. Sturzinger coached football and baseball while he worked at Briar, and he's coached his son Weston's travel baseball team the past five years with former high school teammate Brad Simon, who played baseball at Bowling Green. He'll draw on his experiences as an athlete, coach and teacher as he moves into his new job. "Your high school experience is much more than sports," he said. "It sets you up for life. Dedication and teamwork are as important as anything. I'm just excited to work with our athletes." Sturzinger also is excited about that commute. "I'm going from a 30-minute drive to a 30-second drive. That will be nice as well."