Published: June 23, 2009 10:02 pm      

King named Edmond North baseball coach

For the first time in 16 years, the Edmond North baseball team has a new head coach. The Edmond School Board filled the vacancy during a meeting Tuesday night when it approved the hiring of Karl King.

King will take over the Huskies program, after a successful six-year stint as the head coach at Putnam City North High School. Last season the Panthers went 29-7 and made it to the Class 6A state semifinals, before losing to eventual state champion Owasso.

North Athletic Director Tom Snider said he was most impressed with King’s positive attitude, baseball knowledge and reputation as a coach.

“A lot of people spoke very highly of his team and the positive attitude they portrayed on the field,” Snider said.

Edmond Athletic Director Mike Nunley they selected King from a very deep talent pool that included 21 applicants, 12 of whom were 5A and 6A head coaches.

“We couldn’t be any happier with the applicants we had,” Nunley said. “We interviewed five candidates, which was a lot for us and we were real impressed with all of them. And that’s a real compliment to the job Rick Nordyke has done and the strength of that program and the talented younger players they have.”

King said he was thrilled to hear the news, but couldn’t help but feel a bit sad about leaving PC North.

“It’s exciting to be offered a job like the one at Edmond North, knowing you have big shoes to fill, but it is bittersweet having to leave place that I was happy at,” King said. “Putnam North has a great athletic director, great coaches and faculty and it was a tough job to leave.”

The move also offers King the opportunity to be a bit closer to home. His family lives in the Edmond North district and his wife teaches at Sunset Elementary School.

“It’s just nice to have the family together in same district and the potential to coach my son if he decides to play,” King said.

King began his high school coaching career as an assistant at Edmond Santa Fe in 1995. He worked under Lonny Cobble for eight years, before accepting the job at PC North in 2003.

King said he’ll continue to oversee the Panthers’ summer program and will probably begin working with the program in the middle of July.

Nordyke announced his resignation on June 1, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and coach the North softball team. Nordyke finished his North career with a 423-207 record with eight trips to the state tournament, including a runner-up finish in 2004.