Salina South athletic director Ken Stonebraker ready for retirement after 30-year career
Retirement won't sink in for Ken Stonebraker until August.
Salina South High School's athletic director announced his retirement in May after 30 years at the school, the last 15 as the school's athletic director.
"I've been here a long time, and I've loved every minute of it, and I love it until the day I walk out of here," Stonebraker said. "I told our staff when we had our final day of school that, 'This is my school and I'll always feel that way, and it's going to be fine after I leave and after others leave.' I just did the best I could."
When Stonebraker took the athletic director's position 15 years ago, it was the one job that would have pulled him away from coaching. He was was South's football coach at the time and was interested in the job, which was held by his mentor, Gregg Gordon.
Stonebraker's son, Justin, was in sixth grade at the time and it was a risk he was willing to take, even if it meant missing out on coaching his son in high school.
"I wanted to stay close to coaching," Stonebraker said. "I had the opportunity to work with coaches, and when it came open, I decided that I probably (should) give it a look."
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"He's a legend."
South assistant principal Ryan Stuart sees Stonebraker as a legend, even if Stonebraker doesn't want to be perceived as one.
Stuart, who coached the South girls basketball team as well as girls and boys tennis before taking an assistant principal position in 2021, has known Stonebraker for 20 years.
"Salina South is losing a great person," Stuart said. "He's a mentor to me (and) he's a friend to me."
South boys basketball and girls and boys golf coach Jason Hooper said Stonebraker is a reason why he has been at South since he graduated from Bethany College. Hooper wanted to coach football, and it was either going to be at South or Hutchinson, under Randy Dreiling. Hooper met with Stonebraker and felt South was the better fit for him.
"He took me under his wing and I just learned a ton from him," said Hooper, who was on South's football staff from 1998 to 2013. "He's been a great mentor and a great friend. I owe a lot of my success and just who I am to him."
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Stonebraker made an impact on the students
No matter if it was coaching or as the school's athletic director, Stonebraker made an impact with the Cougars.
Several of South's current coaches, including head football coach Sam Sellers and girls basketball and track and field coach Justin Ebert, played football for Stonebraker when they were in high school.
"It's really satisfying for me because they're great people and they do the best they can," Stonebraker said. "It's not always perfect, but I'm very confident in our coaching staff, and those that I was able to coach, I've known them for a long time, and they do a great job. I realize everybody wants to point to wins and losses, but ultimately, there's a lot more to it than just that."
Sellers was an assistant under Stonebraker and then became head coach in 2009.
Ebert added that Stonebraker was a player's coach and earned their respect.
"I know that a lot of people that played for him had a lot of respect for him as not only a coach but as a person," Ebert said. "Having that prior relationship of knowing who he is, not only as an administrator but also as a person, was hugely valuable for me whenever I took over programs. I knew I had the support of the athletic director and the type of person who made me more comfortable as a coach."
Sellers agreed.
30 years of memories
Even though he spent 30 years at one school, Stonebraker said the people he worked with throughout high school athletics are what stood out the most. Not only did he have an impact locally, but he also served on multiple boards through the Kansas State High School Activities Association and Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association.
"When you reflect back over 30 years and all the people that you have had a chance to get to know, not only in this building but across the state and education, I just feel really blessed that I was part of that and got to know so many people," Stonebraker said. "That's the one thing about a job in education is you're gonna have a lot of contact with people.
"You consider all the former players and athletes and students and parents, everybody that you get to know, it's just really quite a network and you seem like it feels like you have a connection with a lot of people."
Ebert knew that Stonebraker was well respected as a member of those boards, which included the KSHSAA Executive Board during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"His opinion carried weight, not only with the other board members but also with parents and administrators and anybody else who was interested in the decision they're making," Ebert said. "Anybody who served for those couple of years through the trying times of COVID deserves a long, happy retirement because I noticed it was difficult, stressful, and emotional during those times."
Sellers' favorite memory came in his first season as an assistant at South, which was its 2000 state championship team.
The Cougars won the 5A state championship in Lawrence over Pittsburg, 16-13. Earlier that year, Stonebraker's brother, Spencer who had down syndrome, died.
After the team celebrated and cleared out the locker room, the coaching staff remained, and that's when Stonebraker realized something as there was a little break in the conversation.
"He said, 'I can't help but think that (Spencer) was sitting on the goalpost and pulled that goalpost in to make the kicker miss,'" Sellers said. "We're crying like we're giving him crap because this is a joyous occasion. That's a big-time memory that I'll always remember with Stoney and coaching for him."
Ebert's best memory with Stonebraker was during his senior year at South. The Cougars were preparing for a quarterfinal game against Great Bend, and Ebert's grandfather died. The funeral occurred the day before the game and Ebert reported to practice as usual. During practice, Stonebraker pulled Ebert aside and had a 10- to 15-minute conversation with him.
"That's always stuck with me as the type of person that he is," Ebert said. "Even in that kind of high pressure practice day before (the) state quarterfinals (and) spends time to make sure I was doing alright as a person."
Hooper said his favorite memory came in a game against Great Bend when the Panthers were undefeated and the Cougars found a way to end their season.
"Just the way he took us all in and made us all feel important, and made us important by giving us duties and things that we had to take care of in order for the whole thing to operate," Hooper said.
Stuart said his favorite memory was just the working relationship he had with Stonebraker.
"He's had a lot of encouragement for me, whether it be tennis (or) whether it be basketball," Stuart said. "He always joked around that I was a tennis coach that coached basketball for him in the winter. Our real working relationship was always professional and he always helped me out quite a bit."
Stonebraker is still around for advice
Even though Stonebraker won't be in the building, his coaches know he's just a phone call or a text away if they need some advice.
"I think it's just second nature that if there's something I need from him or need advice, he's been a mentor for me for the last 20 years of my life," Ebert said. "He's made a huge impact at South High. I'm excited for him. It's something well deserved.
"It's always exciting to see people be able to go out on their terms and kind of enjoy being still a supporter of it but not having to be the last person in the gym shutting the lights off or dealing with masks or parents or anything like that."
Sellers knows Stonebraker will be available to talk at any time.
"He still has to put up with me," Sellers said. "Just because he's not in his job, it doesn't mean (we're not) still close friends. We'll be seeing plenty of each other."
What's next for Stonebraker
As for what's next for Stonebraker, he is still finalizing his future plans.
One thing that is certain is he'll still attend athletic events, just in a different capacity and not as the first person to arrive and the last to leave.
"I'm excited for something different," Stonebraker said. "I plan to still stay busy. My wife and I want to do a few things. You don't know what's around the next corner, so we're not gonna wait around. She has more flexibility in her job than I did this one.
"I've just been blessed with my family and the understanding that this job and before I took it, it took a lot of time."
A new athletic director to replace Stonebraker has yet to be announced by USD 305.
Dylan Sherwood has been a sports reporter for the Salina Journal since August 2019. He can be reached at dsherwood@salina.com or on Twitter @DSherwoodSJ
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina South athletic director Ken Stonebraker ready for retirement
