Westminster Basketball Coaches Step Down

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The search is underway for two new coaches at Westminster Christian Academy.

According to school staff, Westminster basketball coaches David Klyn and Steve Stipanovich both decided to leave their coaching positions with the school.

Parents were alerted to the decisions in an email sent out by Westminster Athletic Director Todd Zell around 9 a.m. Monday.

Zell said both men decided to step down from the coaching positions to "pursue the next chapter of their lives."

Following is the email sent to parents Monday.

This morning, we announce that Westminster basketball coaches David Klyn and Steve Stipanovich have elected to step down from coaching to pursue the next chapter of their lives. I want to thank both Steve, girls varsity coach, and David, boys varsity coach, for their hard work, commitment to, and passion for the Westminster basketball program.
 
David Klyn and his wife Karissa plan to move to Michigan to live closer to their families. Coach Klyn says, “I have developed many great relationships with the players, families, and individuals associated with the Westminster family and will miss them. This is a bittersweet time for me because the program has a bright future ahead both on and off the court, and I was looking forward to being a part of that; but my wife and I feel called to move closer to family and pursue our opportunities in Michigan. I will miss working with such a great group of young men, and we will keep the program and school in our prayers.”
 
Steve Stipanovich will pursue greater responsibilities in his position with Schneider Industries, where he began work in July 2012. “To resign from coaching the varsity girls was a very tough decision for me,” says Coach Stipanovich. “We had a lot of success on the court, but the most meaningful part of coaching was the relationships that I developed with the girls over the last three years. My hope is that they learned more than simply basketball skills, as we always emphasized the importance of Westminster's 10 Pillars over winning games. The program is in great shape, and I know the team will continue to be successful.”
 
Both Coach Stipanovich and Coach Klyn have been extremely valuable to our athletic program here at Westminster. They cared for their players, developed within them strong Christian character, and brought forth competitive winning teams that embodied Westminster’s vision. While we know their decisions were difficult, we appreciate their dedication to our kids, and we look forward to seeing what God has in store for their lives and also for Westminster.
 
We have begun the process of accepting applications for both coaching positions and hope to fill them by early summer.
 
In His service,

Todd Zell
Athletic Director