Rock Springs hires Mark Lenhardt as football coach

Rock Springs will hire Mark Lenhardt as its new head football coach, pending final approval from the Sweetwater County School District No. 1, the school announced on social media Wednesday.

Lenhardt’s move from Torrington — where he has spent the past eight years as head coach — to Rock Springs was first reported by Andrew Towne of the Torrington Telegram.

BREAKING: Lenhardt resigns as THS football coach. He will take over the reins of the Class 4A Rock Spring Tiger program. #wyovarsity #wyosports https://t.co/fm1xHNj9dz

— Andrew Towne (@TTSports_Andrew) April 10, 2019

Rock Springs High School later confirmed Lenhardt’s anticipated hiring on Facebook.

Lenhardt had led Torrington since 2011, compiling an overall record of 46-31. The Trailblazers had winning seasons in each of the past five seasons and finished as Class 3A runners-up in each of the past two seasons.

The challenge of leading a Class 4A team was appealing, Lenhardt said in the Rock Springs High School Facebook post. Lenhardt played in high school at Cheyenne Central. He previously coached at the University of Mary in North Dakota as a graduate assistant from 2008-10 and at Carroll College in Montana from 2004-07, the school said.

“I am excited at the chance to lead and develop young people into great adults on the field and in the classroom,” Lenhardt also said via the Facebook post.

Rock Springs finished 3-7 last season; the Tigers have had just one winning season (2016) since 2003. Lenhardt will replace David Hastings, who in January resigned after five seasons.

Lenhardt is the second new 4A coach to be hired, joining Aaron Makelky, the new coach at Kelly Walsh. Another Class 4A program, Gillette, is also searching for a new head coach.

Glenrock and Lovell have also named new head coaches for 2019. Torrington, Evanston, Big Piney and Wyoming Indian are searching for new head coaches. If you know of other head coaching changes statewide, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick