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YC football coach and athletic director Rhett Stallworth conducts a spring practice last year
Sun file photo
Stallworth replaces Nodlinski as YC Athletic director
Yuma Catholic administration officially announced Thursday that football coach Rhett Stallworth has replaced Terry Nodlinski as the school's athletic director.
Nodlinski was let go after seven years of service to Yuma Catholic.
Stallworth guided the YC football team to a perfect regular season, 11 straight victories and the No. 1 ranking in the state's 2A Conference heading into the postseason during his first season at YC this past year. He will retain the coaching job in addition to his new AD duties.
He said his vision for YC athletics is to maintain the on-field success established during Nodlinski's tenure, while creating continuity among all athletic programs, adding a support system for athletes and building a bridge to the community.
"We want to sustain what's already taken place and then build upon it. By doing that we're striving to create uniformity and continuity in all aspects of the school," Stallworth said. "We want to build excellence in all sports and not just on the field. It's in the classroom and with their private life. We're going to push to implement policies to help ensure students are successful in all facets of their life."
Nodlinski didn't immediately return a telephone message Thursday.
YC principal Judy Badgley said Nodlinski did a lot of good things in bringing the Yuma Catholic athletic department where it is today. But she added that the program has lacked a long-term plan.
"Nod did a lot for our school. There wasn't any issue. It was just about trying to figure out how we're going to get to the next level," Badgley said. "He really helped build a great program. I do think our kids are very academic and scholarly and I have to think it had to do with him staying on top and making sure they were eligible."
Some of the changes Stallworth said he plans to bring about are creating player's and coach's manuals that will be the same for all sports to ensure athletes know the expectations and discipline standards while transitioning from one sport to the next.
Stallworth said he also plans to implement academic support programs such as study halls and tutors.
"We've always been successful, the sports have done well," he said. "Now we're just going to work on some of the smaller things - promoting the players and the academic side of players. It's not just eligibility. Maybe they don't have an 'F' but they're getting D's and C's. We want them to be cleared through the NCAA clearing house and have success in the classroom at the same time."
Badgley said Stallworth seemed like a natural choice to assume AD duties, adding that she and Stallworth share a similar vision and ideas to improve Yuma Catholic.
"(Yuma Catholic) is spiritual, we're academic and we're athletic. It's time that we're not sectioned and we have to make that all come together," she said. "I'm really looking at our athletic program and trying to see how we make sure it's all three, and how we take our academic program and make sure it's all three...I think we have a great school but I think we can be that much better."
In addition to discipline standards and academic and faith-based programs, Stallworth said he hopes to improve community relations with the school and its athletic programs by performing community service, and keeping the public informed and involved with what's going on at the school.
Stallworth added that his immediate challenge is to get the rest of the YC coaches, athletes and parents on board with the philosophy and keep them happy.
"There's always the perception that because I'm coaching that my sport is getting special treatment," he said. "So I have to go above and beyond fair to make sure everyone's getting their fair shake at things. Now I have to think of the entire school instead of just my little program."
