News: Tuscarora Hires New Coaches including Justin Brown for Boys Hoops and Michael Newkirk for Girls Hoops

(Apr. 27, 2010) - Tuscarora High School has announced new coaches for the Leesburg school opening in September including AA Division 4 state champion Potomac Falls boys head freshman coach Justin Brown to start the boys program and Broad Run girls junior varsity coach Michael Newkirk to start the girls program.

"Justin has a great way with kids and has grown as a basketball coach tremendously in the two years he was with us," said Potomac Falls boys coach Jeff Hawes. "We wish him the best and are excited for him."

Hires Justin Brown as the Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach
Tonight at the Loudoun County Public Schools’ board meeting, Mr. Justin Brown was approved as the First Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at Tuscarora High School. Prior to coming to Tuscarora, Mr. Brown most recently served as the Head Freshman Boys’ Basketball Coach for the state champion Potomac Falls High School for the past two seasons, and prior to that was an Assistant Girls’ Varsity Coach at John Handley for three seasons. Coach Brown has also been a camp counselor and presenter at numerous basketball camps in the Northern Virginia and Eastern Panhandle area. As an athlete, Mr.Brown played for the legendary John Handley Coach, Tommy Dixon, where he was a three year letterman. Mr.Brown also played football and baseball while attending John Handley. Mr. Brown currently teaches AP U.S. Government and U.S. History at Potomac Falls High School. Coach Brown is married to Angela Brown (Sugarland Elementary), and has two sons, J-Paul and Austin.

Hires Michael Newkirk as the Head Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach
Tonight at the Loudoun County Public Schools’ board meeting, Mr. Michael Newkirk was approved as the First Head Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach at Tuscarora High School. Prior to coming to Tuscarora, Mr. Newkirk most recently served as the Head Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach for Broad Run High School for the past two seasons, and prior to that was the Director and Head Coach of the Carolina Bulldogs’ Basketball Club in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for 5 years. As an athlete, Mr. Newkirk played basketball at Wallace-Rose Hill High, where his team not only went 31 – 0, but was also State Basketball Champions. During college, Mr. Newkirk, played junior varsity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mr. Newkirk is currently a teacher’s assistant at Broad Run High School.

Hires Crissi Vogt as the Head Varsity Winter Cheerleading Coach
Tuscarora High School is pleased to announce the hiring of Ms. Crissi Vogt as the inaugural Head Coach of the Huskies’ Cheerleading program. She is extremely excited about developing a new Cheerleading program at Tuscarora High School. She is looking forward to building a squad of leaders with standards high in cheering, academics, and service. Ms. Vogt has served as a cheerleading coach at Reston Youth Association for the last two years and is thrilled for the opportunity to transfer her abilities to the High School level. As a cheerleader herself, she cheered competitively at both the high school and collegiate level. She graduated from Chapman University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Currently, she is the fall Head Varsity Cheerleading Coach at Tuscarora High School. Crissi teaches music at Destiny Preschool for the Arts in Leesburg.

Hires Ryan Barden as the Head Varsity Wrestling Coach
Ryan Barden graduated from Loudoun Valley High School and George Mason University, where he wrestled at the varsity level and became a CAA Conference Runner-Up at the 141 pound weight class. He has also had the opportunity to wrestle across the country and the world, where he gained experience in Collegiate, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman styles of wrestling. Ryan’s wrestling coaching experience includes Virginia High School AA and AAA, as well as Collegiate Division I. Most recently, Ryan was the Varsity Assistant Wrestling Coach at Loudoun County High School. He looks forward to bringing his experience and knowledge to Tuscarora High School to build a program from the ground up, and develop a team that will be competitive in the district, region, and state.

Hires BJ Miles as an Assistant Football Coach
Mr. Miles is looking forward to the opportunity to build the Husky football program from the very beginning stages. Previously, Mr. Miles worked as the Running Backs’ coach at Broad Run High School from 2007 to 2009. While at Broad Run, he helped the program win 38 out of 39 games and back-to-back state championships. Mr. Miles is currently the band director at Eagle Ridge Middle School.

Hires Adam Fortune as an Assistant Football Coach
Mr. Fortune has been coaching football for ten seasons. Prior to joining the Tuscarora High School Football program, he served as an Assistant Football Coach at Broad Run High School. At Broad Run, he was part of two state championships and twenty-eight consecutive victories. He currently teaches Physical Education at Catoctin Elementary School in Leesburg. He earned a Bachelors of Science degree from Frostburg State University. Mr. Fortune currently lives in Frederick, MD with his wife, Jennifer, who is a third grade teacher at Lucketts Elementary School.

Hires Adam Snyder as an Assistant Football Coach
Mr. Snyder served as the Varsity Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach last year at Heritage High School and was the Head Junior Varsity Coach for two years prior to that. In 2007 and 2008 he served as a freshman and varsity assistant Football coach at Park View High School. As an athlete himself, he played high school football and basketball in the state of Pennsylvania. He went on to play college football at Frostburg State University, where he was named an All-Conference wide receiver his junior and senior seasons and was named the team’s offensive player of the year in 2004. Mr. Snyder is currently teaching Health and Physical Education at Smart's Mill Middle School.

Hires Larissa Lemp as an Assistant Cross-Country Coach
Mrs. Lemp is returning to cross country since serving Brooke Point High School (Stafford County, VA), as Assistant Cross Country Coach in the 2002 season. In the interim, Mrs. Lemp focused on graduate studies and personal and group fitness programs developing her own long distance running plan and teaching at the Warrenton Old Town Athletic Club Group Centergy, a class that promotes strength and flexibility for adults and student athletes. Raised in a household centered on lifelong running, Mrs. Lemp has run recreationally since childhood and competed at the collegiate level for Susquehanna University in the 3200m indoor event. Mrs. Lemp, currently the TRT at Potowmack Elementary, is thrilled to be a member of the Tuscarora Cross Country Coaching Team and awaits the opportunity to work with scholastic athletes to achieve their personal best.