CAMDEN — Caesar Rodney High has had only three different athletic directors since the end of the 1970s.

So the CR School Board apparently wants to be extremely thorough in choosing its next AD.

The board was unable to decide on a new athletic director at a special meeting on June 2. But it did narrow the field to two candidates — Bob Beron and Dustin Weller.

Mike Schonewolf has stepped down as both football coach and athletic director at Caesar Rodney High this year. (Delaware State News file photo).

Both men are already employees of the district. Beron, formerly the AD at Campus Community, is a teacher at the high school while Weller is a counselor and the athletic director at Postlethwait Middle School.

Because of scheduling issues with the board, the new AD now isn’t slated to be chosen until its monthly meeting on July 7.

“I’ve got a board that understands that there’s certain positions that they want to be involved in because they have such a big impact on the school and the district,” said superintendent Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald. “They just want to make sure that they take into consideration all the factors and they get the right person.”

Mike Schonewolf has been CR’s AD since 2006. But he has stepped down as both head football coach and athletic director — his last day is today — and is moving to Florida.

Former assistant Dan Candeloro has already been hired as Schonewolf’s replacement as football coach.

Assistant principal Kevin Long will oversee the athletic department until the new athletic director is selected.

Before Schonewolf, tennis coach Jim Harvey held the AD job for 24 years. He replaced Joe Vrundy in 1982.

A former athletic director himself, Fitzgerald understands there is still plenty of athletic department work that needs to be taken care of during the summer. Equipment needs to be sent out for reconditioning and schedules need to be completed.

“Work doesn’t end for an athletic director any more than it does for a coach or an administrator in the summer,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald realizes how fortunate CR has been with its last two athletic directors. Harvey and Schonewolf are the only two ADs Fitzgerald has worked with in his 24 years in the district.

“I don’t think you could find two better individuals than those two guys,” said Fitzgerald. “They were at all of the events, they took care of everything. They made my life easy when I was principal and easy as superintendent.

“I think they’ve set a particular standard — and it’s a high standard. I think that’s one of the reasons the board is trying to be so careful when they pick somebody. Are we going to find another Jim Harvey? Are we going to find another Mike Schonewolf? Well, we’re going to do our best to try but it’s not going to be easy.”

Sports editor Andy Walter

can be reached at 741-8227

or walter@newszap.com.