Dempsey resigns as Helias athletic director

There's been a change at the top of the athletic department at Helias High School.

Dwayne Clingman will serve as the interim athletic director at Helias after Brad Dempsey resigned from the position earlier this month.

Dempsey, who resigned Sept. 8, was named activities director in April 2014 to replace Doug Light in the position.

"We wish Brad the best," Helias president Fr. Stephen Jones said.

Clingman, who joined the Helias staff this school year as an assistant principal, will serve as athletic director for the remainder of the school year. Clingman, a 1982 graduate of Helias, had been athletic director at Owensville High School for three years before returning to his alma mater this summer.

Fr. Jones said the school will begin to advertise later this year to fill the position for the 2018-19 school year.

Dempsey has also stepped down as head coach of the Lady Crusaders soccer program.

Jay Hebenheimer, the first-year head coach of the Helias boys soccer program, will take over as head coach of the girls program in the spring. He was an assistant coach under Dempsey with the Lady Crusaders last spring.

"I'm very excited," Hebenheimer said. "For Helias to have faith in me to run both programs means a lot."

Hebenheimer accepted the position Friday.

III

At the Helias-Battle football game Friday night in Columbia, Fr. Jones addressed rumors concerning a recent visit to the school by the Missouri State High School Activities Association.

"MSHSAA visited our school, just like they visit a lot of schools," Fr. Jones said. "At this point, everything is good. I've heard rumors and none of it is true.

"I don't think we will have a problem, we work closely with MSHSAA. I can't speak to their motivations."