Colonial Forge names Collier AD
By THOMAS C. DOZIER
No one at Colonial Forge High School is more familiar with the entire sports programs than athletic trainer Brian Collier.
Collier, a 1992 graduate of the University of Virginia, has been the athletic trainer since the school opened in 1998.
That is why, after an extensive search for an assistant principal in charge of athletics and activities, Collier was the logical choice for the job and his appointment was made official at the special-called school board meeting on Tuesday at Belmont.
Collier, who has a Bachelor of Science degree and a master’s degree, will report for his day of duty on Friday. Collier, who spent six years at North Stafford as the athletic trainer before he came over to Colonial Forge, takes over the helm from David Ripley. Ripley served the Eagles for just one year.
According to Collier, 34, he will just continue to carry the torch passed to him from Ripley.
”I think both my predecessors — Dave Ripley and C. A. Burton — have done a great job in establishing a top-notch program. I only hope I can continue to keep building on the foundation they have established. I thought both of them did a great job.”
Collier, a native of Stanardsville, has many friends on the faculty staff including his wife Teresa, who is a physical education teacher at Colonial Forge.
”Knowing everybody and getting along with everybody will definitely help in the transition process,” Collier said. ”We have good people in place already and I feel across the board we have not only won some games and district titles but displayed improvement in all areas.”
Areas of immediate attention for Collier are the need of a freshman cheerleading coach and a varsity swim coach at Colonial Forge. And of course, they must fill the vacancy of the school’s athletic trainer. Practice gets underway for Colonial Forge on Monday with golf and tennis being the first to hit the grind.
”The good thing is most of the fall schedules were done back in the spring so all that has been taking care of,” Collier added. ”And for me, I have been lucky the past eight years because the athletic directors at Colonial Forge and North Stafford have allowed to work in an unofficial capacity as the assistant A.D. That has helped me gain an understanding of what is required at this position.
Brian Collier and Teresa Collier have three children — Travis (5), Braydon (3-1/2) and Kaylee (11 weeks).
One major change in Collier’s status is as acting AD, he moved from an 11-month employee to a 12-month employee for the county.
In other school news, North Stafford High School basketball coach Dennis Seman resigned to take an assistant women’s basketball coaching position at Frederick (Md.) Community College.
Seman, 32, who spent two seasons at North Stafford after coming over from coaching the girls basketball team at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg for two years posted a 19-30 record during his two-year tenure for the Wolverines.
Prior to James Monroe, Seman coached the boys varsity team at Orange High School and held the same post at Northampton High School on the Eastern Shore.
The Wolverines, who went 8-14 this past season, will return its entire starting five including 6-7 rising junior Chris Darnell. Mike Darnell, Seman’s assistant at North Stafford and Chris’ father, took the boys basketball head coaching position at Liberty High School in Bealeton earlier this summer.