Jeff Bral has seen one side of the fence. Pretty soon, he will become familiar with the other side.

Bral, a teacher and boys track and cross country coach at Bartlett High School, was recently selected to take over the role of Athletic Director from Dan Kallenbach.

"You're only as good as the people around you, and I think there's a lot of good people who were a positive when it came time to (interview)," Bral said.

Bral believed he was one of 68 applicants for the job, and the only applicant from within the Bartlett High School faculty ranks.

Bral's appointment as AD is still pending School Board approval, though little if any opposition is expected.

"The School Board hasn't signed off on (the hiring) yet, but I expect it to happen at an upcoming meeting," said Tony Sanders, Chief Communications Officer for School District U-46.

Bral's move to Athletic Director will signal the end of a combined 19 years coaching at Bartlett. He led the boys cross country coach for all 10 of his years at Bartlett, and was an assistant for the boys track team for one season before moving to head coach the past nine seasons.

"This signals the end of coaching," Bral said. "But I told the kids I'll never stop coaching, because now I'll be coaching the coaches."

Bral will also serve as the Athletic Director and Divisional for Physical Education, Driver Education, and Health Education; he previously served as a physical education teacher. "Jeff will bring a lot of enthusiasm and energy to both departments, it will be tough to replace him as a head coach," Bartlett High School Principal Dr. Kevin Skinkis said in a statement on Bartlett's web site.