Cougars AD Rich Bagienski resigns, effective Thursday

BAINBRIDGE -- North Putnam will be without an athletic director for at least the next few weeks following the sudden resignation of Rich Bagienski last Friday.

North Putnam will hold a special school board meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m., at which time the board is expected to accept his resignation.

Bagienski was hired in May of last year after spending 11 years as a teacher at Madison Consolidated High School.

He tendered his resignation at 4 p.m. on Aug. 3.

North Putnam superintendent Dan Noel said Bagienski will return to his previous position at Madison Consolidated Schools, where his wife has remained.

"We want to thank him," Noel said. "He worked extremely hard at the position, did a very good job at the position and we wish him good luck."

Noel said he and other North Putnam administrators are filling the roles of the athletic director in the interim.

"We're kind of all working together," Noel said. "Hopefully the board will give us some guidance on Thursday."

All athletic events are expected to continue as scheduled.

Noel also said that, if the Thursday meeting goes as expected, the AD job will be posted on Friday morning. There is then a mandatory 10-day waiting period to accept applications before interviews can take place.

Bagienski was hired the same day as former head football coach Brian Crabtree, who lasted only one season before leaving the school in March.