Heritage Christian Academy announced on Monday that they had hired an athletic director and a boys’ varsity basketball coach.
WHOP was told in a text by HCA Headmaster John Walsh that the school finalized the hirings of Candy Hayes and Jeremy Leek on Friday evening.
Hayes, who previously served as the school’s athletic director for five seasons, was named interim athletics director to replace Matt McGowan, who resigned to take a job as athletics director and boys’ basketball coach at Cornerstone Christian.
Hayes, who was AD at HCA from 2018-22 under the tutelage of Eldridge Rogers among others, said she had agreed to the interim AD tag while the school continued to try and fill the position.
“I was approached regarding being the interim and agreed to do this while they were still looking to fill this position,” Hayes said. “My decision was made through lots of prayer. The Lord and administration at HCA know my heart is for these kids.”
Hayes originally began helping with the school’s athletic director duties after former AD David Taylor began suffering health issues. After taking over for Taylor, Hayes said she leaned heavily on the advice of Rogers, who was the first Christian County High School Athletics Director from 1965-1968 and was the HCA volleyball coach for many seasons. He retired from coaching in 2019 before passing away in 2021.
“Coach Eldridge Rogers was my backbone in helping make my job easier with all his knowledge and wisdom he shared with me,” Hayes said.
Taylor, Hayes, and McGowan were influential in HCA’s transition from the Kentucky Christian Schools Association to joining the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Leek has been named boys’ basketball coach at HCA. Leek, the father of recently graduated Jason Leek, has coached the Warriors’ JV basketball program and was an assistant for the varsity program for five years.
Jeremy Leek, who replaces McGowan, said he wanted to be the head coach because he loved the challenge of coaching.
“I have built a great chemistry with these players,” he said. “I know where they are skill wise and where they need to improve and it’s my goal to help them get better at basketball and to succeed in life.”
Leek also coached archery at Hopkinsville High School for seven years before coaching basketball at HCA.