by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Zane Aquilar, a long-time assistant at Wellington High School, has been named the new varsity head football coach this evening.

Aguilar will be replacing Tyler Ryan, who resigned as head coach after four years at the helm.

Zane Aguilar

The Wellington school board announced the decision during a special meeting that was held at the school administrative office. The board held four executive sessions, one for 30 minutes, 15 minutes and 15 minutes before making a motion at 7:10 p.m. tonight. It was unanimously approved with those in attendance.

Aguilar will also move from elementary physical education to the high school p.e. position.

Other employment changes at the meeting included:

•accepting the resignation of Alisha Belmear, first grade teacher at Kennedy Elementary;

•assigning Deyna Smith to second grade at Kennedy Elementary.

•transferring Heather Schmidt from second grade to first grade at Kennedy Elementary for the 2016-17 school year.

Aguilar is a 2004 Wellington High School graduate. He was a former quarterback under longtime head coach Linn Hibbs, and was a member of some of Wellington’s most successful teams in the early 2000s.

He would eventually rejoin the program as a coach where he has served as an assistant in various positions.

Aguilar was one of about 40 applicants – a process that was whittled to four last Tuesday where interviews took place. Wellington Activities Director Brian Buchanan said earlier last week that a head football coach would be announced by Friday. But Wellington School Board President Jackie Berryman called for a special meeting last week for tonight. No formal announcement was made until the board reconvened from executive session.

The hiring process was unusual in that in most cases the high school administration usually makes a recommendation for hire to the board which in turn makes the hire through the monthly consent agenda.

Aguilar becomes the fourth head coach at WHS since 2010. He will take over a program that has not made the playoffs since Hibb’s final season.

The Crusaders were 4-5 last season. Ryan resigned in April to take a teaching job in Holton.

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