Most of you have seen the new athletic director, Ian O’Brian, at the front of the school welcoming people or around at lunch saying “hi.” However, most of you probably don’t know much about him except that he is the new athletic director at Lakeridge.

After teaching and coaching for six years at a high school on the Oregon coast, Warrenton High School, O’Brian and his wife decided to pack up their two kids and their 100-pound Weimaraner and move to Lakeridge because “why not.” O’Brian proudly claims that Lakeridge “has a great community and great kids.”

Although he is a fanatic for sports, O’Brian surprisingly played a minor role in the Warrenton High School musical two years ago. He strongly believes in actively supporting all extracurricular activities such as drama, clubs and sports. Overall, O’Brian takes great pride in Lakeridge, and “wants this school to take pride in what we have.”

Born in Tacoma and raised in Eatonville, Washington, O’Brian decided to tackle sports at a young age. Starting football in the fourth grade, he also played basketball, soccer, and participated in track.

In fact, his first-ever youth football game was at the well-known King Dome in Seattle. This was his first and last touchdown in a professional football stadium.

Later on in his life, O’Brian graduated with a degree in history from Eastern Oregon University and played football there for four years as well.