NPHS names two coaches

Jim Benick will be the new head football coach at New Prague High School, Activities Director Brad Skogerboe announced Thursday. The hiring is subject to approval of the New Prague Area School Board.

Benick, who will also teach physical education and health at the school, is currently a teacher at Blaine High School, and has been offensive coordinator at White Bear Lake High School for the past three years. He previously was offensive coordinator at Blaine and served as head coach at two schools in Wisconsin-Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School, and Bay Port High School in Green Bay. He has also coached at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Read more in the May 28 edition of The New Prague Times.

Skogerboe also announced that Tim Dittberner has been hired as head boys basketball coach. Dittberner, who came on board as interim head coach in January after the death of Jeff Gravon, took the team to the state tournament this season. The principal at New Prague Middle School, Dittberner coached previously at Le Sueur, where he took three teams to the state tournament, and at South St. Paul.

The school is looking for two more head coaches for the fall sports season. Volleyball coach Emily Jasperson and swimming and diving coach Julie Hull both resigned earlier this month.