With one resignation, Southwestern High School lost three key personnel.

Brady Days accepted the athletic director’s position at Mt. Vernon Middle School in Fortville which ended a 16-year run at the southern Shelby County school system.

“I am glad for Brady,” said Southwestern Consolidated Schools Superintendent Josh Edwards Wednesday after the school system’s monthly board meeting. “It is best for him and his family. He has meant a lot to the corporation. He’s been a great teammate as long as I’ve been here.”

The new position allows Days to spend more time with his daughter, who is a fourth grader in the Carmel school system.

Days’ resignation was formally accepted Wednesday. That leaves Edwards to find the high school a new assistant principal, athletic director and boys varsity basketball coach.

“Brady left tough shoes to fill,” admitted Edwards. “We are going to look at separating those three positions out. You just don’t find a Brady (Days) all the time.

“With somebody coming on new, we don’t want to overwhelm them or burn them out because that is a real thing in education.”

The first position to be filled will be assistant principal. The school system will conduct a second round of interviews next week, according to Edwards.

“Once we get that (position filled), we will use that assistant principal for input on finding a new athletic director. And once we find a new athletic director, we will open it up for a new coach.”

Days’ reputation as a meticulous preparer has left the athletic department in good shape. While fall sporting events and officials and referees are already in place, varsity and junior varsity events are scheduled on campus next week for volleyball, soccer and tennis.

“Right now, the administrative team … we’re all jumping in and supervising,” said Edwards. “Brady did a really nice job of having everything lined up.”

Days leaves Southwestern as the boys basketball program’s career wins leader. He led the Spartans to three sectional titles, two Shelby County Tournament titles and a Mid-Hoosier Conference championship.

In other board news:

Beth Hoeing, the new principal at Southwestern Elementary Schools, and John Tindall, the high school/junior high school principal, both reported good starts to the 2022-2023 school year.

“We’ve had a wonderful first six days of school,” said Hoeing. “We welcomed 341 students through our building and that includes 41 preschoolers.”

Hoeing also reported there are 66 students in kindergarten.

“We’ve had a great start to the year and as the elementary has increased its enrollment, we are up too a little over 20 kids,” said Tindall. “We are really excited about that.”

Following Tindall’s report, board member Jerry Drake recalled during his school days when the principal failed to find a new basketball coach and was called to duty.

Tindall followed that up with, “I can tell you I’ve coached one basketball game in my career. I filled in and I am 1-0.”

Tindall admitted after the meeting he is in no hurry to tarnish his perfect record as a basketball coach.