Longtime Kentwood High School coach, athletic director and teacher Kurt Phelps will no longer be at the helm of the Kentwood athletic department.
Phelps is stepping down after 40 years serving the Kentwood region as a coach and 37 and a half years as a teacher. He began his student teaching at Kentwood in 1985 and was hired in 1986 after graduating from Kentridge in 1980. Phelps started coaching the Kentwood football team from ‘84-‘24 and the baseball team from 1985 to 1999.
“I have spent two-thirds of my life at Kentwood, so of course it is a special place for me. I have been a part of the Kentwood culture for all but three years of Kentwood’s existence. Kentwood is special place built on many traditions; it is a place unlike any other and is hard to describe, as it’s more of a feeling. The entire Kent/Covington community is very involved and supportive of Kentwood students and faculty and is what drives the Kentwood pride and spirit,” Phelps said in a statement to The Reporter
”It has truly been a privilege and an honor to teach, to coach, and to be the athletic director at Kentwood High School, working alongside strong teaching, coaching, and administrative staffs throughout my time at Kentwood. However, the real honor was being able to work with the students of Kentwood; that is what it’s all about and is what makes spending all that time at Kentwood the most enjoyable piece of the job.”
“We congratulate Kurt for his 40 years of service. His type of leadership, mentorship, and coaching is hard to come by and will be greatly missed. He has had a profound impact on countless students within this community,” Kent School District Athletic Director Brian Smith told the Kent Reporter.
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