Two coaching changes could result in the hiring of three new coaches for the Platte County R-3 School District.
Pending board of education approval during the June 21 meeting, the Pirates will have new head coaches for softball, baseball and boys tennis.
All of the hires, if approved, are in-district teachers.
Two of the vacancies came from the exit of Rob Davenport, who served as Platte County’s baseball and softball coach. He was placed on administrative leave late in the baseball season and never returned. He has resigned.
The Pirates played under interim coach Randy Sneed through the conclusion of districts. Platte County shared the Suburban Conference Blue Division title this year.
John Sipes, a former assistant coach at Odessa and St. Joseph Central, has been offered the baseball job.
A science teacher at Platte City Middle School, Sipes played college baseball at Northwest Missouri State University, where he still ranks in the top 5 in career hits, home runs, RBI and total bases.
Callie Beaver has been offered the head softball coaching position.
Beaver, a social studies teacher at Platte County High School, has served as an assistant softball coach for the Pirates the past two seasons.
She played high school softball for Webb City High School, where she was a All-State player. She went on to play at Park University, where she was an all-conference player and a NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
The final head coaching vacancy comes in boys tennis, where Zach Keith becomes the head coach again.
He has served as the assistant coach the past two under Anna Nutt, who is retiring as a teacher and coach. The Pirates won the league title this year.
Prior to that stint, Keith started the tennis programs for both the boys and girls at Platte County.
Entering his 13th year teaching this fall, Keith has coached tennis for 11 of those years.
Family priorities — a newborn and two adopted kids — led to Keith stepping away from the boys job in 2016.
“I really missed it and I knew we were getting the courts, it would be a lot easier to be home more and still coach,” Keith said. “I knew I wanted to do it. Two of my boys are in fourth and second and they go to Siegrest. They are able to come to practice. It is nice to coach and still spend time with the kids.”