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Denney resigns as Tonganoxie coach

By Shawn Linenberger - | Jun 8, 2005

Tonganoxie is in search of a new boys high school soccer coach.

Luke Denney resigned last week as the THS coach. He spent the past two seasons in Tonganoxie, compiling a 12-20-2 record. Denney, in his first year at THS, finished 7-9-1. Last year, the Chieftains completed the season at 5-11-1.

Denney, who also taught English at Tonganoxie Junior High, will teach at Barstow Academy in Kansas City, Mo., THS athletics director Brandon Parker said.

Denney also plans to coach soccer at Rockhurst University, where he played soccer as a goalie before coming to Tonganoxie. Before playing soccer at Rockhurst, Denney, an Omaha, Neb., native, was a walk-on defensive back for the 1997 national Nebraska football team as a freshman.

As for Tonganoxie, the soccer season is just about three months away and the Chieftains are without a soccer coach.

“It just makes for bad timing,” Parker said. “It’s no one’s fault. It’s just how it works out.”

Parker already has posted information about the vacancy on a teachers’ Web site and has been in contact with soccer associations in northeast Kansas in pursuit of a new coach.

“I think we’ll be able to find an opportunity through there,” Parker said.

And Tonganoxie has lost other coaches.

Sue Walker, who was an assistant for the girls basketball team, has opted not to return to the bench in the fall. Parker said he still is looking for someone to fill her position. Currently, the staff consists of coach Randy Kraft and assistant coach Jon Jacques.

In the junior high ranks, John Barnes resigned as eighth-grade football coach.

Other coaching changes are expected, but Parker didn’t mention specific positions. He said they wouldn’t be official until later in the summer.