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Gilmour names new athletic director
(by Tony Lange - April 13, 2012)
Gilmour names new athletic director
By TONY LANGE
After coaching his team to a state championship, walking away from his wrestlers to take a job at a school without a wrestling program was a difficult choice for Jeff Walrich.
But there was an opportunity awaiting 700 road miles away that was too good to pass up, he said.
Starting July 1, Walrich will take on the director of athletics position at Gilmour Academy after living and working in Atlanta for more than a decade.
"Both my wife and I have put some roots down in Georgia. We both have a lot of friends there, but, for the opportunity to be the director of athletics, especially at a school like Gilmour, it just means the world," he said. "It's such a prestigious school in the triple A, athletics, arts and academics, and to be a part of that is, I was trying to describe to my family, it's just wonderful. The facilities, the mission, the athletics, it's just a total package. To me, that's kind of why I eluded to it being a dream job."
For the past five years, Walrich has spent his time as the dean of 10th-grade boys, assistant athletic director, head wrestling coach and a film and production teacher at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School, one of the largest independent schools in Metro Atlanta.
Before Holy Innocents', Walrich also spent time as an elementary teacher, coach, information technology and services recruiter, business development manager and senior technical recruiter.
Walrich and his wife, however, originally are from Detroit, and so getting back to the Midwest was something that has been in the back of their minds, he said.
Just this past weekend, they were familiarizing themselves with Greater Cleveland while scoping the landscape with their Realtor.
"Cleveland is a great city, so we're excited to be closer to family and be a part of the Gilmour family," Walrich said. "I've got to get my blood ready to come up here for the winters again though. In Atlanta, if we think we're going to have snow, we shut down schools and all that. I'm looking forward to just finding a place to call home."
Perhaps the most difficult part about packing his southern bags to head back north was informing his wrestlers at Holy Innocents', Walrich said.
The Golden Bears won the Georgia High School Association Class A duals championship in January and then placed third at the traditional state tournament in February.
"That was probably the toughest was the talk I had with my team," Walrich said. "We're very close, and it was tough. I think the kids took it pretty hard, but I think the initial shock wore off, and, by the end of the day, they were coming in my office and asking me more about it and congratulating me.
"We talked a lot about goals and how to achieve those, and I told them this was one of my goals in my life -- to be the director of athletics -- and so they were able to understand that after the initial shock."
Speaking of shock, Walrich said his jaw dropped when he saw not only the stellar Gilmour athletic facilities, including the new swimming pool, basketball arena, field house and hockey arena, but also the academic facilities.
"The facilities are just excellent to topnotch," he said. "I was trying to explain to my wife when I came home from the interview, and she only saw the school this weekend, and she goes, 'Now I understand why you fell in love with this school.' It's just a great place to excel in athletics and academics."
While earning his bachelor of science in physical education from Western Michigan University in 1998, Walrich is working toward his master's degree in athletic administration from Ohio University in 2013. His resume also includes an extensive technological background.
"I'm very interested in technology. I stay in touch with it. So the use of media, video, social media, PR, marketing and so on, with those background things I have been used to, I want to be able to integrate those into the athletic department," he said. "As far as full-out changes during my first year, I don't see any of that right now. I think there's a great base, and I just want to be more conscious of all the traditions that the school has and go from there."
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