Loveland, OH - Loveland High School has hired Mr. Richard Bryant to lead Loveland Athletics into the future. Bryant comes to the Tigers following a 13-year stint as the Director of Athletics at Lakota East High School, one of the most successful public high school athletics departments in the Cincinnati area. Under Bryant’s leadership the Thunderhawks captured two state championships, girls’ track and field in 2019, and baseball in 2011. Over 200 student-athletes went on to compete at the next level under his direction.
Loveland High School has been a consistent contender within the Greater Cincinnati athletics scene. The girls’ basketball program won back-to-back league championships in 2020 and 2021, and the girls’ track and field program is coming off a state runners-up campaign in 2022. Furthermore, eleven standout Tiger athletes from the class of 2022 will begin their collegiate athletic careers across the nation this fall.
Bryant enters the role left vacant by Mr. Brian Conatser, who will move into a new role at Loveland High School as assistant principal. Conatser oversaw a successful department, including an ECC All-Sports Trophy during the 2019-2020 academic year. Bryant will take the reins of overseeing the school’s 31 varsity sports and over 500 student-athletes.
In a recent interview with The Loveland Magazine, Loveland City Schools Superintendent Mike Broadwater boasted the hire of Mr. Bryant, stating that, “As a Loveland resident and parent, Rich understands our Loveland athletics programs have a great tradition and bring tremendous value to the school experience for our students.”
Bryant, a long-time Loveland resident, cited his familiarity with the community and school district as a vital aspect, saying, “Loveland made a lot of sense on a personal level. I live two and a half minutes from the high school and my daughters attend school in the district. Not being a total stranger has made this process smoother.”
Bryant stated that he rarely considered taking other jobs before the Loveland opportunity arose, proclaiming, “Lakota East became a home for me.”
However, Loveland provided an appealing factor that differed from the profile of Lakota East. “I’m excited to work in a smaller, more connected school system, with one high school. The opportunity to push athletics forward in a district like this doesn’t come around often,” stated Bryant. He continued by stating that although he maintained a positive relationship with his counterpart at intradistrict conference rival Lakota West High School, some of the corresponding policies and guidelines between the schools became a struggle to sustain.
Bryant’s approach for his initial year is focused on both maintaining and improving upon the standard that his predecessors have set for him, saying, “You don’t just change things to change things. I learn something new every day and I know that nothing is perfect so there is always room for improvement.” He concluded by saying that building a positive and supportive culture can be an athletic department’s most challenging work, but also its most rewarding.
Before becoming an administrator, Bryant served as a history teacher and coach at Colerain High School and Ross High School.
You can follow Mr. Bryant on Twitter @LovelandTigerAD.