SUPERINTENDENT RECOMMENDS NEW WEST HIGH COACHES

Dist. 129 Supt. Jim Rydland is recommending the hiring of Roger “Buck” Drach to coach the West Aurora High School football team and Connie Siljendahl to coach the girls basketball team beginning July 1.

The Board of Education, which has already expressed its support of the recommendations, will take a formal vote on Tuesday, May 23.

Since 1994 Drach has been a dean at St. Charles East High School and had served as head football coach there for 16 years. During his career as a head coach, his teams have had 158 wins to 75 losses, were conference or co-conference champions for 11 years, went undefeated for four years, were state playoff qualifiers for 12 years and quarterfinal qualifiers three years.

In all, Drach, who earned a master’s degree in physical education from Eastern Illinois University, has 23 years experience as a head coach. He also has completed coursework for his administrative certificate at Northern Illinois University.

Siljendahl, who has a bachelor’s degree in education and is a physical education teacher, has been coaching girls basketball for 14 years. For the past five years she has been the JV girls basketball and sophomore girls volleyball coach at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. During part of that time she also coached AAU girls basketball clubs.

Prior to her Neuqua experience, Siljendahl was the head coach of girls basketball and volleyball at Still Middle School in Naperville.

“I am pleased to welcome two experienced coaches and quality individuals to the Blackhawk athletic program,” says Dan Bridges, the incoming West High athletic director. “Coach Drach and Coach Siljendahl bring with them tremendous knowledge and successful coaching experiences. These coaches were selected because they have a clear vision for their program and expect to compete at a high level immediately.”