Ozaukee athletics gets new leader

Ozaukee High School has a new athletic director who is plenty familiar with sporting events.

Andy McKee has photographed many of them for the school.

McKee, who has a degree in graphic design from St. Norbert College and owns a photography and design business, takes over the part-time position at a unique juncture.

He, like every other athletic director in the state, doesn’t know what fall sports are going to look like.

“Nobody has anything set in stone,” McKee said.

Until he hears otherwise, McKee said, he is planning for a regular fall schedule of football, volleyball, cross country and soccer.

“We’re planning for a full-go because what else can you do,” he said. “We’re just going to have to react on the fly.”

McKee is from Plymouth and has lived in Fredonia the past 18 years. He and his wife have two children, a junior and freshman at Ozaukee High. He is already familiar with many of the people associated with the school and athletics.

“I know a lot of the kids,” he said. “I’ve coached some in soccer and been part of the girls’ basketball program.”

McKee has been a self-employed photographer since 2010 with a good portion of his business capturing sports photos. He is also the Ozaukee High’s yearbook advisor.

His schedule as a photographer doesn’t allow him to coach anymore. The athletic director job, he said, helps fill that void.

“I just wanted to help improve the quality of Ozaukee athletics — turn programs around, make things better for the kids and their friends and everybody in the community,” he said.

McKee’s top priority is to hire a volleyball coach after Paul Jungbauer left.

“I’ve been on the phone since day one on that one,” he said.

Sports aside, McKee and others look forward to returning to a normal school schedule.

“The kids want to get back to school. I know that sounds weird, but every kid I talk to, they miss it,” McKee said.

“There’s more to school than classes — there’s lunchtime, hallway time. The kids are looking forward to getting their lives back, and adults are too.”

McKee replaces Greg Lucas, who was the athletic director for the past two years.