High school sports: Bob Hartman to retire as Whitehall athletic director, District 11 chairman

Whether it was as Whitehall High Schools athletic director or the District 11 chairman, Bob Hartman always prided himself on being transparent and totally honest with people.

But as speculation grew in recent months about him retiring from his position at Whitehall to take on another job outside local sports, Hartman found himself in the uncomfortable position of not being totally honest.

I was tired of telling people dont believe what youre hearing and that I wasnt retiring because, I feel Ive always been honest with people, whether thats good or bad, Hartman said.

I think thats a good thing, always being honest.

So to not be totally truthful really bothered me.

Thats not a good trait.

Thats why Hartman is happy that the word is out.

On Monday night, the Whitehall-Coplay School Board accepted Hartmans letter of retirement.

He will close out the remainder of the remainder of the 2024-25 school year and wont be officially be retired from Whitehall until Aug.

13.

His retirement ends his involvement with Whitehall that began as a multi-sport athlete in the late 1980s.

The 1990 graduate coached wrestling and football before becoming athletic director in 2002.

The 53-year-old Hartman became District 11 chairman in 2014 and the PIAA Board of Control vice-president in 2020.

He is leaving to work for Digital Scoreboards, which has former Whitehall-Coplay superintendent Bob Steckel serving as its chief operating officer.

Digital Scoreboards, founded in 2015, has partnered with over 200 high schools and mid-sized colleges the opportunity for high-end indoor and outdoor digital display technology.

Whitehall has worked with the company in providing its state-of-the-art scoreboards at Zephyr Stadium and at Dick Tracy Court.

Hartman said the decision to leave his leadership positions with Whitehall and District 11 was difficult, but something that he has thought about a long time.

Ive had this opportunity in front of me for like the last two years, he said.

Things just change and its probably the right time.

One of the things I heard religiously in the Eagles postseason run to the Super Bowl is that to do great things things you need to be surrounded by great people.

Probably [head coach] Nick Sirianni said it the most.

Im not taking credit for any of the success weve had at Whitehall.

We have so many great people here and thats the hard part in making this decision.

I love yucking it up with coaches and kids and building relationships, he added.

That was the challenge for me when I went from a teacher and coach and having relationships with kids to an administrator.

Now most of my relationships are with adults.

Now moving on to something different makes it even harder.

But Ive been blessed to work for great principals and great superintendents and great school boards and we dont get anything but great support here and I will miss it.

Hartman said his new job will give him an opportunity to grow as a person.

Digital Scoreboards is actually based in Columbia, Illinois, and I have built great relationships with the owner and CEO who has actually become a personal and professional mentor to me over the last five years, Hartman said.

He told me that when I was done I had had a job and now seemed like the right time.

I mean were on the front side of a boom and were positioned to take advantage of some things.

Hopefully, I can do so some great things for my family including my two children who are getting ready to go into the real world and I hope I can help them out with their college debt and the things we always hoped to do for our kids.

Hartmans two kids are both Whitehall graduates.

Zach is 22 and will graduate from Elon in a few months and Maisey is 19 and a sophomore at Saint Josephs University.

My wife, Nichole, is the one who has sacrificed the most, Hartman said.

Ive been involved with sports since I was 5, but she made my career possible because of what she did for my kids.

She has been the one.

I mean my phone will ring at all hours of the day and shell say Whats the crisis now? and it is always something.

And she has dealt with that kind of stuff all of these years.

Hartman is excited about his remaining months at Whitehall starting with the boys basketball team being in the District 11 6A semifinals.

I always think were going to have teams do very well in the spring, he said.

Hartman said that his coaches were aware of his decision before the retirement letter was forwarded to the school board.

He is proud of the facilities that Whitehall has either built or renovated during his time in charge and hes proud of the coaches he has hired, and hes proud of the tough, hard-nosed identity Zephyrs sports teams have always possessed.

Im most proud of the opportunities weve given to kids, he said.

Weve given them to opportunity to excel, to be part of their school and community.

Ill hang my hat on that and on having some of the best facilities in District 11.

I think weve done right by kids.

Weve hired some great coaches and allowed our athletes to learn and be around some great people and role-models.

Theres always going to be some complaints.

Thats high school sports.

But I am proud of what weve done and we have developed this mentality and a mantra of being Zephyr Tough and for dealing with whatever comes our way.

All of that is important to me.

Hartman said hes sure there will be days ahead when the impact of leaving things that have been so important to him throughout his adult life will hit him.

But I have no regrets and no buyers remorse, he said.

I am 100% confident this is the right decision for me, and I hope to maintain some of the many relationships Ive built over the years.

My new job will require some traveling and I will cut the cord with Whitehall to give the new athletic director his space, but Ill still be around..

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