Central athletic director prepares to relocate his stripes

A change of job position will do nothing to the color of Terry Kitchen's blood.

Orange has pumped through Kitchen's veins since his playing days at Central, and his recent announcement that he will step down as the athletic director at his alma mater after 12 years only served to reinforce his pulmonary makeup.

His eyes redden at times when discussing his 12 years as athletic director, but it only demonstrates how much orange was pumping beneath.

"I can tell anyone in Cape Girardeau that coach Kitchen has given it everything he's had the past 12 years," he said this week, choking back tears. "I've done the best I can to make us the best school around here. I've tried my best to have the best school spirit, to represent our athletic program and school district in the best way I can. I've given it everything I've got."

In a bit of a grass-roots move, Kitchen will become the coach of the junior high football team next season, serve as the athletic director at the junior high school, oversee the weight room in the spring and serve maintenance duties in the summer.

As the junior high school football coach, Kitchen will return to a job he held for 12 years (1979 to '90) before becoming the high school's athletic director. He was also the winningest varsity baseball coach at Central -- and still is -- before taking on the AD assignment.

He's held that position since, serving as a bridge between the past and future in his final year. During his 12th year, he's overlooked the stressful job of working out the kinks in the school's first year at its new location. It's been a year of shuttling players to the old school for practices and trying to prepare unfunded, raw outdoor fields to become future homes for the Tigers.

"It was a tough year, but I'm glad I had the chance to come over here and kind of get things going and get some of our athletic programs established," he said.

Kitchen said he had every intention of remaining athletic director until he retired, where upon he planned to ask the school to reassign him somewhere else.

But in December he talked to Central principal Mike Cowan about doing something different.

"I think I caught him off guard," Kitchen said. "I think maybe he thought I was just kidding or going through some tough times. He told me, 'Why don't you think about it and come back to me after the Christmas holidays.' When I came back after Christmas I said the same thing. I said, 'Mike, if a position becomes available, I might want to do something different."

Personnel changes in the past month allowed the change to occur.

The change has led to speculation that stresses of the job were working on Kitchen's health. Kitchen, who will turn 51 next month, has heard and countered that line of thinking.

"I'm feeling better now than I've felt in years," he said. "I'm going to direct my energy toward this new job and go harder than I've ever worked before. I've got another 15 to 20 years left in me."

He compared his position change to one that occurred 12 years ago. He quit coaching baseball after 13 seasons, having led the Tigers to the final four in three of his last five seasons.

"The prime of my life as a baseball coach, I became athletic director," Kitchen said. "Now I'm almost doing the same thing. I'm 50, almost 51, and I'm basically in the prime of my life as an administrator and I'm going to do something else."

Kitchen graduated from Central in 1970 a decorated athlete. His senior year he became only the second Tiger to gain all-state status, getting the honor at linebacker. As a catcher in baseball, he was an all-state honorable mention.

After graduation he attended Southeast Missouri State University on a baseball scholarship, catching for legendary coach Joe Uhls, where he was second team all-MIAA.

He returned to Central in 1978 as head baseball coach and began coaching junior high football the next season. He served as junior high head coach for the final six of his 12 years.

As for his return to coaching, Kitchen said, "I'm going to love on them a little bit, but they're going to play hard."

Junior high players will be exposed to a man big on loyalty, both on his own and from others. Loyalty is the heart that pumps the orange and reddens the eyes.

"I think I've been blessed with some of the best coaches to work with," Kitchen said. "They've been loyal to me through the good times and the bad times. I'll match this staff against anybody's school and I'll take our student body and our school spirit and I'll match them up against any other school."

At the top of his list, Kitchen cited his secretary Joetta Giles, who he refers to as his assistant athletic director, and his wife Barbara.

"All the nights I've been gone, she's been very understanding of the job," he said.

Kitchen leaves proud of the academic performance of Central athletes.

"Every year when you look at the top 10 academic kids at Central, usually it's five or more of the top 10 are athletes," Kitchen said. "My goal, which I never got: I wanted the top 10 to be all athletes. I'm proud of that. I'm proud Central recognizes that it's not just athletics, but academics, too."

Kitchen said the school district is looking inside the district for a replacement but will also likely look outside the district.

Kitchen's contract as AD expires June 30 and he'll begin his new duties on July 1.

jbreer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 124