MANSFIELD — The hiring committee for Mansfield City Schools’ new athletic director (AD) has narrowed the field to two candidates, school board president Chris Elswick told Richland Source Monday.
Director of Personnel Mark Wilcheck confirmed those two finalists are Michael Becker and Mark Oppenheimer.
Mansfield City Schools has been without a full-time AD since the district signed a separation agreement with Kevin Porter in December.
The hiring committee interviewed three candidates for the position and asked two back for second interviews, Wilcheck said. The committee will interview both candidates this week in hopes of presenting a finalist for school board approval in May.
The hiring committee consists of Elswick, Wilcheck, Supt. Stan Jefferson, Mansfield Senior High School Principal Rob McQuate, Mansfield Middle School Principal Jason Douglas and school board vice president Linda Golden.
Wilcheck described the role of athletic director as a “huge job.”
ADs are charged with scheduling and coordinating athletic contests. They ensure each game has officials present. They supervise and evaluate coaches, arrange team transportation for away games and oversee the athletic department budget. They order and maintain an inventory of all athletic equipment.
They ensure the district is complaint with league policies, state and federal law and guidelines set forth by the Ohio High School Athetlic Association.
They’re in charge of athletic event security. They supervise and verify a district’s list of eligible student athletes — verifying their grades, physicals and transfer history permit them to play.
“There are so many things behind the scenes that an athletic director does so when our fans and parents show up for game day, it’s game on,” Wilcheck said.
The finalists
Michael Becker
Michael Becker of Parma Heights has been the athletic director at Brooklyn Middle School and High School since August 2021.
From 2015 to 2021, Becker worked for Constellation Schools, a public charter school network in the Cleveland area. During that time he held several positions, including physical education teacher, assistant principal, principal and athletic program coordinator.
Becker worked for Groveport Madison Schools from 2004 to 2015, serving as a physical education teacher and intervention specialist. He has experience coaching high school baseball and football as well as middle school basketball.
Becker completed his principal licensure program at the University of Dayton, where he also obtained a master’s in educational leadership. He holds a bachelor’s in education from Miami University of Ohio.
Mark Oppenheimer
Mark Oppenheimer of Huntington, New York is currently the associate director of campus recreation at Hofstra University.
Oppenheimer began his education career as an instrumental music teacher in 1998. From 2009 to 2015, he was the band director at Hilliard Bradley High School. He began his administrative career in 2015, serving as the athletic director and assistant principal of Nagel Middle School in Cincinnati for three years.
Since then, he’s served as an assistant principal and principal for St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic School and assistant principal at Manhasset Secondary School.
Oppenheimer obtained a master’s in education from the University of Dayton and a bachelor’s in music education from the Ohio State University.
17 people applied for the position
Wilcheck said the district received 17 applications for the position, but only six applicants met the requirements listed for the position.
Specifically, only six had an Ohio 7th thru 12th grade principal’s license.
Wilcheck said it’s common for districts to require their athletic director (AD) to have a principal’s license. Having the license can allow an AD to temporarily step in if a building administrator is absent due to illness or other extenuating circumstances.
The district received several internal applications, but only two met the job listing requirements, Wilcheck said.
“We talked to (one candidate) and he understands the need we have for him in his current position,” Elswick said. “The other internal candidates didn’t have the licensure we needed.”
Jefferson said he was happy to have a competitive pool of applicants for the role.
“You always feel great that you have people interested in your position. We’re very excited,” he said. “Athletics today is more complicated than it was years ago.”