SPS athletic director leaving district

Springfield Public Schools’ athletic director is returning to his collegiate roots.

Randy Stange, who’s held the SPS role since July 2015, accepted the position of athletic director at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. There, he’ll succeed the retiring 17-year director Carl Heinrich.

"This is an unexpected opportunity that offers me the chance to return to collegiate athletics, which has always held a special interest for me,” Stange said in an SPS news release. “I believe it is a good fit for me, and I hope the students and staff at Johnson County Community College will find it to be a good fit for them as well.”

Stange’s last day at SPS is scheduled June 30.

He previously worked 18 years as athletic director for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas and also was a former assistant basketball coach at Missouri State University.

When he started at SPS, Stange’s salary was $110,439. He led 40 employees, 300 athletes, student athletic training staff, cheerleaders and the dance team, and was responsible for department fundraising. He succeeded Mark Fisher, who had held the SPS athletic director role since 2003 but took the director of athletics job at Drury University.

SPS spokeswoman Teresa Bledsoe said a search for Stange’s successor is underway, with a job listing to be posted soon.