Bevins receives district AD honor

Whenever Josh Porter walks into a Creston athletic event, he knows what he’s going to see.

The Clarinda High School athletic director knows he’s going to be greeted by a fixture at Creston Community High School activities.

“Anytime I walk into Creston schools for an event, Jeff Bevins is there,” Porter said. “He asks how things are going in Clarinda. He is a great representative of the Hawkeye 10 and we are lucky to have his experience and knowledge.”

Now in his 19th year as an athletic administrator, including the last 14 as director of middle school and high school activities in Creston, Bevins was recognized Oct. 3 as Southwest Iowa Athletic Director of the Year.

Jeff Bissen, Glenwood athletic director and a district director for the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association, made the announcement at the gathering of southwest Iowa athletic administrators in Atlantic.

Bevins served as middle school athletic director while teaching and coaching in Clarinda before moving to Chariton in 2000. Four years later, just before moving to Creston to succeed Curt Olson as Creston’s activities director, Bevins received the Southeast Iowa Athletic Director of the Year award.

He said he was not expecting to receive the southwest Iowa honor earlier this month.

“I was surprised,” Bevins said. “You’re always happy to get something like that, because there are a lot of good ADs in southwest Iowa. All ADs are in the same boat. There are a lot of hours. I would imagine part of it was the facility upgrades we’ve undergone in the last few years in Creston. We’ve done a lot.”

Bevins cited the construction of the new elementary school/middle school shortly after his arrival and remodeling of the Early Childhood Center as indications of the focus of administrative leadership in Creston to update all facilities. Two safe room additions were built, with the middle school’s room becoming an auxiliary gymnasium.

He also referred to upgrades at the softball field, the baseball field and football/track facility after the tornado damage in 2012, and additional upgrades there recently with the installation of the turf field and visitor bleachers.

“We’re still developing from there, always trying to improve our facilities,” Bevins said.

As assistant principal and activities director, Bevins also oversees fine arts programs and FFA in addition to all athletic programs. He said he’s been fortunate in having a high quality staff in place.

“Our group of coaches, from top to bottom, is as good as it gets in the whole state,” Bevins said. “Our coaches all work together, they communicate with each other. I’ve been very fortunate in that respect. Then you look at band and choir, those programs each have around 100 kids involved, and our speech program is growing. FFA has always been strong here. It’s a good set of activities, for sure.”

When Bevins was teaching and coaching in Clarinda, the school’s high school athletic director was Harley Schieffer. Now retired and executive director of the IHSADA, Schieffer is happy for his former colleague.

“Jeff and I worked together for approximately five years at Clarinda,” Schieffer said. “After a successful teaching and coaching career, he aspired to move into athletic administration. He is being recognized for an outstanding body of work over many years of service. Jeff has the necessary qualities of an outstanding administrator, which means he is hard working, dedicated and is always doing what is best for his students, school and community.”

Another fellow Hawkeye 10 athletic director, Mitch Osborn at Harlan, has several connections with the Bevins family. His son Joel is a football coach at Northwest Missouri State, where Jeff’s son Collin starred as an All-American defensive lineman. Collin’s brother, Jared, worked as assistant high school wrestling coach, middle school football coach and substitute teacher in Harlan while finishing his teaching degree. He now works in Centerville.

“Those two young men are both a reflection of their dad as they are passionate with a strong work ethic and very positive,” Osborn said. “Jeff has hired outstanding coaches throughout the years and as a colleague is very easy to work with. Harlan Community and Creston have developed a great rivalry through the years, and the thing that is great to see is the respect both schools have for each other. That starts with the leadership of Jeff Bevins at Creston.”

In making his own transition from coach to athletic administrator in Clarinda, Porter said he’s been able to lean on Bevins as a mentor.

“During my time as the head wrestling coach we built a relationship from day one,” Porter said. “Starting as a new AD, he is a guy that I know I can call anytime and ask questions. Under his direction, Creston has been able to have success in lots of different areas. We are lucky in the Hawkeye 10 to have his experience and knowledge.”

The official presentation will be made at the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association’s annual convention March 24, 2019, at the Coralville Marriott. District directors of the year from southwest, southeast, northeast, northwest and central Iowa will be the field of candidates for the Iowa Athletic Director of the Year award.