MORGANTOWN – Aaron Whitford will be making a trip across the Eastern Panhandle to become the next athletic director at University High.
The former Hedgesville assistant principal and athletic director was approved by the Monongalia County Board of Education on Tuesday night to become the Hawks’ new AD.
Whitford was approved as a full-time salaried athletic director, meaning he will not hold a teaching position at the school. He replaces longtime athletic director Jeff Bailey, who has held that position at University High since 1998 and announced his retirement during this past school year. In his 28 years as the Hawks’ athletic director, Bailey oversaw 31 teams that captured state championships across all sports.
Whitford’s first official day at UHS will be July 1.
A graduate of Hedgesville, Whitford earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and mathematics from Shepherd University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Garrett Community College, as well as a bachelor’s degree in consumer health and sciences from Fairmont State University.
Whitford joined Berkeley County Schools as a special education teacher at Hedgesville Middle School in 2011 and later earned his master’s degree in special education from WVU in 2015. In 2016, Whitford became Hedgesville’s head baseball coach.
In 2018, he was hired as an assistant principal and athletic director at Hedgesville. He will take over a UHS athletics department that won state championships this past school year in wrestling and boys’ cross-country.
The Hawks’ softball team advanced to the Class AAAA state finals, the football team appeared in the Class AAAA state semifinals, and the boys’ track team was the state runner-up this season.
