WHS names new athletic director
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

The Watauga County Board of Education made it official Monday night by hiring Jeff Link to be the county’s new athletics director.

Link will take over for current athletics director Lavell Hall, who is retiring following the school year. Link was approved by a unanimous 5-0 vote.

Link, 31, is the current AD at East Burke High and has been there since 2006. He is a graduate of Western Carolina and has also been a teacher at South Caldwell High from 1998-2006.

“We’re very pleased that he is coming,” Watauga superintendent of public schools Bobbie Short said. “I talked to some references in his county and they say that he is very organized and is tremendous with the media in keeping everyone informed to the athletic events and the outcomes. He attends almost all the events. He is very visible and we feel that he is going to do a great job for Watauga County.”

Link is familiar with Watauga athletics, having been part of the Northwestern 4-A Conference these past two years as East Burke’s AD. The Cavaliers finished in first place in boys’ basketball and tied Watauga and A.C. Reynolds for the NWC football championship.

He interviewed in front of the committee that was formed to find a new athletics director, and then interviewed with Short and Watauga principal Angela Quick. He also interviewed with Short a final time.

“The thing that was most impressive to me was the sincerity when he talked about not only the athletic events, but the character building of our athletes.”

Short also said the search for a new football coach began Monday with interviews. Short said she would take the recommendation of the committee doing the interviews and meet with the candidate before making a recommendation to the school board.

“They actually are ready to hand me a recommendation,” Short said. “Then I will interview that candidate and then we will see about getting that person on board.”