Spotts, Orsagh, to begin new era at Red Oak

RED OAK — After searching for a couple of weeks, the Red Oak school district has found its new activities director and football coach for the high school.

Jeff Spotts was hired by the School Board last Tuesday to be the new activities director for Red Oak High School and Middle School.

In the same closed session, the Board also hired Billy Bob Orsagh to be the new head football coach, as well as physical education instructor, at Red Oak High School.

Orsagh said he hopes to build some enthusiasm for the kids and get them competing.

“I guess everybody knows about Texas football. It's 24/7/365 and I'm hoping to bring that attitude with me up to Iowa,” he said. “It's going to take total commitment day in and day out, throughout the school year, throughout the summer.”

Spotts will take over for Angie Spangenberg, who resigned in March to accept the volleyball coaching job at Harlan Community High School.

Spotts said the school district and the town interested him in moving to Red Oak.

“All of the amenities of the town that we really liked, from the golf course, to the YMCA, to the Performing Arts Center, those are all big draws for us to want to move our family into the community,” Spotts said.

For Orsagh, he had an interest in moving to Southwest Iowa, because of the family connections there.

Orsagh’s wife, Christina, is from Bedford.

Her father is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.

“I felt I needed to get her closer to her family,” Orsagh said.
Orsagh said his wife’s  uncle informed him of the opening at Red Oak.

He liked Red Oak because it meant he would be able to bring his own offensive system.

“I had looked at a couple of different schools, but none of them really interested me as much as Red Oak,” Orsagh said.

Orsagh takes over for Andy Yost, who resigned April 25 to take the offensive coordinator job a Creighton Prep in Omaha.

The new coach met with the soon-to-be former coach on Monday.

“I think he's going to stay throughout the summer and he's going to help get me acquainted with everything and hopefully there won't be too much confusion,” Orsagh said.

Orsagh has to finish out the rest of his contract before moving up to Red Oak in mid-June.

Spotts currently lives in Ida Grove with his wife Michele and his three children.

Prior to coming to Red Oak, Spotts was as instructional coach at Sioux City East High School, as well as a consultant for the Northwest Area Education Agency (AEA), in Sioux City.

Spotts has worked elsewhere, including Des Moines, Ida Grove and Cherokee in Iowa and Colorado Springs in Colorado.

“All of the experiences, you draw on and it helps you lay out a plan and envision for what you want your activities to go and how you can help assist coaches and sponsors, so they can get their programs where they need it to be,” Spotts said.

He has worked as a head coach in football, baseball and track.

Spotts received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science/History from Morningside College in Sioux City and received his masters degree from Drake University in K-12 Educational Leadership.

Orsagh worked in Jasper, Texas as an assistant football coach for Jasper High School.

At Jasper, Orsagh was responsible for coordinating the passing game and was the receiver’s coach.

Prior to his stint at Jasper, Orsagh was an offensive coordinator at Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Texas.

He was a three-year starter at Eastland High School in Eastland, Texas, receiving numerous district and conference accolades.

Orsagh transferred to  Malone University, a private, Christian, liberal arts college in Canton, Ohio.

Orsagh transferred to Malone from Highland Community College in Highland, Kan.

He played football there in the Mid-States Football Assocation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Malone plays in the same conference as such Iowa schools like Iowa Wesleyan, Waldorf, Grand View University and William Penn.

As quarterback for the Malone Pioneers, Orsagh and his team competed in the National Christian College Athletic Association’s (NCCAA) Victory Bowl.

The Pioneers won the Victory Bowl in 2007.

Orsagh holds several passing records at Malone.

He has the best career completion percentage (.627), most passing yards in a game (464) and season (3,293). Orsagh is in the top five for many passing records at Malone.

Both men will take on a consulting role initially. They officially take their positions on July 5.