By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
Former Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball head coach Dave Bezold has been selected as the new athletic director at Newport High School.
Newport Superintendent Kelly Middleton confirmed to the Northern Kentucky Tribune on Monday night that Bezold is the Wildcats’ new athletic director. Bezold replaces Mario Kirkendall, who resigned recently to take the athletic director’s job at Ryle High School.
Bezold spent the past two years as part of the Xavier women’s basketball staff as director of administration. At Xavier, he was in charge of opponent scouting and non-conference scheduling. Bezold also assisted with practice planning, game strategy and gathering analytics.
Bezold also served as NKU’s women’s tennis head coach from 1996-2000, and he led the Norse to Great Lakes Valley Conference championships in both 1998 and ‘99.
During NKU’s final season at the NCAA Division II level in 2011-12, Bezold guided the Norse to a 23-7 record. NKU advanced to the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, where they lost to Southern Indiana. NKU also earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament as Bezold led the team to a 20-win season for the fifth time in six years.
Bezold guided NKU to an 11-16 record during the program’s inaugural season at the NCAA Division I level in 2012-13. The Norse played a non-conference schedule that included Ohio State, Texas Tech, San Francisco, Tulsa and San Diego. NKU posted a 9-9 mark in their first season in the Atlantic Sun Conference and were 5-4 at home against league foes.
HORNBACK NAMED GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH: Middleton also announced that Joe Hornback has been hired as the girls basketball head coach at Newport. Middleton said Hornback will also teach printing.
Hornback replaces Alexandria Adler as head coach. Newport finished winless (0-25) last season.
Dave Bezold will be a great addition and of high merit to Newport School sports. Inspire those students.