Bahr Takes Job In NE Iowa

Tipton football coach Josh Bahr, shakes the hand of Williamsburg coach Kurt Ritchie after the Tigers loss in the playoffs a few years ago.  Bahr recently resigned his position at Tipton to take the k-12 principal job at West Central-Maynard in Northeast Iowa.  Photo by Darren Miller.

By Ryan Stonebraker
Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative

TIPTON — For the past eight football seasons at Tipton, Josh Bahr has led the Tigers onto the field.  This fall, there will be a new man leading the black and gold onto the field.  Last week, Bahr tendered his resignation, pending school board approval, to accept a job in Northeast Iowa at West Central (Maynard) High School.  Bahr has been at Tipton since 2003, minus a short stint at North Scott.

“Last winter I began a leadership program at Drake and was surrounded by outstanding and impactful educational leaders.  I was inspired and changed.  So, I began pursuing opportunities to move into administration,” he said.

“I found one.  This job checks a lot of boxes for my family,” said Bahr.

Bahr has meant so much to the Tipton community over the years.  Bahr said that leaving Tipton was not the plan when he came back in the late 2000’s.

“The plan was to be here for the long run.  This was a brutally tough decision for me and my family.  Tipton is a special place with special people and we love it here, but it’s time to chase this opportunity.  It’s a good fit for us,” said Bahr.

Bahr ends his coaching tenure with a record of 29 wins and 46 losses.  He took over in the 2009 season when another longtime Tiger coach, Mike Wehde, stepped down.  The two are the only two head football coaches in the past 13 years at Tipton.

Bahr’s early teams were marked with steady improvement and didn’t use the excuse of some of the smallest classes in recent memory going through, during a 4-23 stretch from 2009-11.  What is easy to see now looking back, was that Bahr and his staff were building a program.  From the 2012 season until this past season, Tipton had 25 wins and three playoff appearences in five seasons.  The Tigers beat North Cedar four of the five seasons, scoring over 40 points in each win, including a 77-18 drubbing in 2013 and a 54-13 win last fall.

Bahr said that he is really proud of keeping his staff together for the most part during his eight year run.  Coaches Kyle Reeve, Cole Goodenow and Rich Fisher have been with him all eight years and share in the program’s development and growth over the years.

“The coaches and players have made this transition the toughest.  They have meant a lot to me.  I look back at 2009 and all of us were in new positions.  I was a first time head coach and the others were first time coaches in their roles.  We forged a bond that got stronger with each passing year,” he said.  Bahr also said that former coaches Henry Harden, Jeff Ormsby, Ben Slife and others also were a big part of the program

“I don’t want to leave anyone out, but it’s been a lot of fun coaching with these guys and coaching at teaching at Tipton,” said Bahr.

Bahr will be the K-12 principal and athletic director at West Central Maynard.  Bahr will still be involved in athletics, taking on AD duties with his new job.  

“That piece of me I don’t have to put fully away and that is exciting,” he said.

Bahr said he is also excited to be a part of a district where he gets to be involved at all levels K-12.  He will be going to a school district that is class 1A and A in athletics and with that, a school district that has challenges that he is excited to face.  Bahr is returning to his home area, having graduated from Sumner-Fredericksburg High School, which is 20 minutes down the road from Maynard.