The search is on for new athletic directors at Palo Alto and Gunn high schools as Jason Fung and Jill Naylor will be taking on new endeavors next school year.
Fung served one year as Paly’s AD while Naylor held the position at Gunn for two years. Fung said he has informed his staff of his decision and plans on returning to the classroom as a teacher.
Fung replaced longtime AD Earl Hansen while Naylor was one of just many ADs the Titans have had over the past 12 years — following Sarah Stapp (two years), Chris Horpel (four years), Tom Jacoubowsky (two years) and Matt McGinn (two years).
The AD at Paly likely will have to deal with the construction of the new athletic facility, which has been held up in Sacramento. The new gyms were supposed to be in place by now with demolition originally scheduled for last summer.
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
I’m disappointed that Jason Fung is stepping down. While I don’t know him real well, I had high hopes for him. The AD has lots of jobs on his/her plate, but the most important is evaluating/hiring/firing coaches. I believe that Earl Hansen didn’t do a very good job in this role, so I was looking forward to an improvement with Jason. I realize that attracting good coaches to public high school teams is tough, since we don’t pay them much. But at least in one of the teams that I am close to, Jason’s hire seems good.
So Earl did his job for thirty yrs and coached athletic teams and you can say that he did not do his job? And you know Fung personally so you like the job he bailed on after ONLY one season. Do you hope to garnish credibility with your post?
Brandon Johnson, the assistant AD at Paly would be awesome at either of these. Unfortunately, he will not yet have a second Masters degree, and therefore is not eligible to be hired as AD. This dumb rule will mean a big loss to athletes in Palo Alto for years to come. A change of this rule is called for.
The truth is that whoever the A.D. at either school is, it is always going to come down to this: YOU GOTTA GET IN EM! CUT OFF THE BASELINE! GET ON THE GROUND FOR ALL LOOSE BALLS AND PLAY WITH HEART AND PASSION!
When game is over go home, do your homework and be a good son or daughter who follows suggestions and orders!
Mickey Mouse could be the A.D. if kids just do this and parents let the coaches coach em up. Bad coaches will always weed themselves out!
GET IN EM!!! TURN EM!!!! GET ON THE GROUND!!!! Beautiful music to my ears!
This article was taken word for word (see past Gunn ADs) from the Daily News, which broke the story. There is no attribution to the Daily News for its initial report. Unprofessional journalism.
This is a thankless job. Too many sports squeezed into limited facilities, too many rules, too little support by the schools and parents, the relentless need to fundraise to pay for the too many sports. Add to that the emotional environment at both schools, particularly Gunn, it is no surprise that the turnover is what it is. Unless things change (doubtful) it will be a long time before another Earl comes along.
We need an AD who allows some leniency for academics. I’m not sure if Fung changed it, but I know in the past, the teams would have to stay and watch the games of the other levels of their teams (ie: freshman team watches both JV and Varsity games) thus, students don’t return home until late at night. PAUSD homework isn’t Mickey Mouse material that can be completed in the bleachers. Our students shouldn’t have to choose between athletics or academics.
Track has improved this year while Fung was AD.
someone mentioned even Mickey Mouse could be an AD–well, at Paly, we certainly have had Mickey Mouse as our AD–AND, it didn’t go well. teams forfeited games and play-off opportunities due to his ineptness. there were 6 baseball coaches in five years!! the basketball team had ineligible players playing and forfeited games. the majority of fund-raising went to the football team. All of these are direct consequences of poor decision making or lack of caring by the AD. All of these cost the athletes dearly. Mickey Mouse? Yes, for sure–glad that era is over for the future athletes at Paly. Let’s hope the administrators and school board select a REAL AD and not some good ole boy type. Let’s hope that the new AD understand that Paly athletics is more than just football. Let’s hope that the new AD spends care in selecting his future coaches and supports ALL of the programs.
Two of the stronger softball players from theis year’s team just left Paly softball because of poor coaching decisions this year and last, carry-over of favoritism and manipulation of coach selection by self-serving parents who had personal ties to Hansen. Got two coaches in the last four years fired, at the request of a couple of meddling parents who only wanted their kid to be the stars, and saw to it by buddying up to Hansen, hand-picking the coach for the next season.hansen was very partial, did nothing for all athletics at Paly.. Just those he favored. At least Jason Fung was open to talking to all parents, not just those he favored or happened to know, or who kissed up to him as Hansen did. Good luck Paly, you’ve got a lot of work to do. Too much entitlement at Paly…..pathetic.