BUTLER FILLS COACHING VACANCIES

CHARLOTTE— Butler High has filled head coaching vacancies in football, men’s basketball and baseball, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Brian Hales, a former offensive coordinator, replaces Mike Newsome as head football coach. Newsome left earlier to become the new football coach at Kannapolis Brown.

Hales has been at Butler for seven years as a health and physical education teacher. He has served the head junior varsity coach for seven years and has also been varsity offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for three years.

West Mecklenburg’s Donald Kirby will replace Kurt Wessler as Butler’s men’s basketball coach. Kirby had previously served as an assistant under Wessler, who retired from coaching earlier this year.

Kirby returns to Butler after working at West Mecklenburg since the 2005-06 season. His teams at West Meck won a regular season conference title, two conference tournament titles and made five playoff appearances.

Rick Sambrotto will replace Kim Cousar as Butler’s baseball coach. Cousar left to take a similar job at Charlotte Latin.

Sambrotto has been a teacher and an assistant baseball coach at Butler since 1997 and previously had taught and coached at Garinger and Harding. The history teacher is also an assistant football coach at Butler.