Kingfisher’s board of education met Monday in a special meeting to consider applications for a new superintendent.

Before the meeting was over, however, there were more positions to open up.

The board accepted the resignations of longtime wrestling coach Ed Evey, Gerrett Spears, Amanda Mun and Jason Sternberger.

“When we made the agenda, mine was the only resignation I thought you were going to have before you,” said Sternberger, the district superintendent who earlier this month accepted the same position at Hennessey. “But we got these three in today, so we have them too.”

Evey is the longest tenured coach and second-longest tenured teacher in the district at 40 years and is retiring effective May 21. Spears is in his second year as the girls basketball coach. Mun is a third-year paraprofessional.

Evey’s tenure is second only to Dr. AJ. Johnson’s 48 years with KPS and is just the third head wrestling coach at KHS since the program was revamped in 1979. Lloyd Peck and Mark Howard were the others. Evey assisted both.

“I would like to express my appreciation to the students and community of Kingfisher for the past 40 years,” Evey wrote in his resignation letter.

Evey has witnessed every state placer Kingfisher has put on the wrestling mat since joining the district in August 1981.

He’s had 71 state placers since becoming the head coach in 1986-87.

That includes 10 wrestlers who won 13 individual state championships.

Three of his wrestlers - Joe Otey in 2005 and 2006, Elliott Hellwege in 2007 and 2008 and Triston Cortez in 2015 and 2016 - were two-time state champs.

Kingfisher’s most lucrative stretch was from 2007-09. The Jackets had 18 placers during that stretch and won five individual titles.

The 2008 team was the Class 2A dual state runner-up in 2008 and then was third at state. The 2009 squad was the 3A state runner-up.

“It’s been a fun ride,” Evey told the Times & Free Press.

But it’s also been along one, he noted, which partly prompted his retirement

“I’m physically not able to get on the mat anymore,” said Evey, 63. “If you can’t get down on the mat to teach and teach the moves well, then you can’t teach.”

Evey also currently coaches junior high baseball and teaches math at the high school.

Spears went 33-19 in his two seasons at the helm of the Lady Jackets and reached the area tournament each season.

The Lady Jackets were one win shy of reaching state in 2020. They went 14-9 in 2021.

Spears replaced Jay Wood, who was head coach for four seasons before becoming the district’s full-time athletic director.

“I’m thankful for my time here,” Spears said. “We had a good couple of years. I’m thankful for my players and their work ethic.”

Sternberger told the board a committee had already been formed to find the new head wrestling coach.

It consists of Charles Walker, board of education member who wrestled at Oklahoma State University, a parent involved with the youth wrestling program as well as members of Kingfisher’s administration. He said a committee of similar makeup would also be involved in finding a new girls basketball coach.