UHSAA assistant director named to top role in Nevada


1 photo
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

MIDVALE — Bart Thompson knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

But after several days of deliberation and counsel with his family, the Utah High School Activities Association assistant director put his name into contention for an opening as executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association. He wasn’t going to apply for a job unless he was serious about it, and he finally decided he was on the last day the association was accepting applications.

A few days later, he was interviewing with the Silver State’s board of control alongside five final candidates for the position. On Monday, as he was driving back to Utah, he learned it was all worth it.

Thompson will be named the fourth executive director of Nevada’s top high school athletics association. After nearly eight years as an assistant director in Utah, he’s excited for the new challenge — though he admits he will miss the people of the Beehive State.

“I’m excited for the prospects in Nevada, but I have a wonderful job here,” Thompson said Wednesday morning. “It seemed like a good opportunity there. The state is somewhat similar to Utah, in terms of high school sports (and demographics). It seemed like a good fit for my experience.”

Thompson said the whirlwind of the momentous job change has left a few of the details, such as his final day in Utah, up in the air. But he is likely to start with the NIAA before the beginning of the school year this fall.


I'm excited for the prospects in Nevada, but I have a wonderful job here. It seemed like a good opportunity there. The state is somewhat similar to Utah, in terms of high school sports. It seemed like a good fit for my experience.

–Bart Thompson, Utah High School Activities Association


The 24-year coach of football, wrestling and track at Viewmont High School left his teaching job in Bountiful more than seven years ago to join administration in Utah’s governing body for high school sports. With his experience, he was a natural fit for several positions like the wrestling rules committee, where he helped bring a uniform weight management system to the state of Utah — a move that also put him in contact with Nevada, which already had a similar system in place.

"Bart has been instrumental in establishing many great things for our association," UHSAA executive director Rob Cuff told KSL.com. "His wisdom and dedication has been monumental in the success of high school activities across Utah. He will truly be missed, but I am excited for his new opportunity in Nevada and the chance to be an Executive Director."

Thompson has served as the director of the state’s cross-country, soccer, speech and debate, track and wrestling tournaments during his tenure with the UHSAA. He also worked on key legislative issues for high school sports, coordinated the academic all-state teams, and acted as a liaison with health care professionals as the association’s sports medicine coordinator.

Now he’ll take that experience into Nevada as executive director, a position that is expected to begin with a three-year contract. He replaces outgoing director Eddie Bonine, who was hired in December as executive director of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.

“I love the people I work with in Utah,” Thompson said. “Those relationships are with those people. I’ll miss them. But this is a great opportunity.”

Thompson was the only candidate from outside Nevada among the five finalists, which included current NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson and high school administrators from the Reno, Elko and Las Vegas areas.

Despite his late application and relocation possibilities, he impressed the committee enough to receive an offer.

“He had a very obvious and evident love for students,” board chairman Jill Pendleton told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday. “He had excellent communication skills. He had a very commendable level of professionalism, and he’s had extensive experience working with the Utah legislature.”

The move reminds Thompson of a similar departure from his teaching job in Bountiful in July 2007.

“It’s kind of similar to when I left Viewmont to come into the office,” said Thompson, who replaced current Weber State athletic director Jerry Bovee at the UHSAA. “We had a good thing going, and I liked the people. But it was an exciting thing to have a change mid-career, to have the excitement of a new job.

“You really want to do well, and it’s kind of the same way here. It’s a new shot in the arm — the excitement, the motivation you have as you get started on these things. It helps to improve me as an individual.”

Thompson’s new job, which is stationed in Reno, will regularly take him to Las Vegas and won’t keep him far away from the state he’s grown to love — but it’s a farther drive than the four-and-a-half hour commute from Midvale to St. George that he has also grown to love.

Still, the biggest thing he’ll miss are the people.

“It’s mostly the people, the student-athletes, the administrators, the coaches, the people I work with outside of our office,” Thompson added. “That’s going to be what I miss the most.”

Photos

Related links

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsHigh School
Sean Walker

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast