If you go to North High School, you might notice some new faces around the school, including the new Athletic Director, Oliver Sinclair (OJ). Before coming to North, OJ was a business teacher at Meredith Middle School for five years, another Des Moines Public School. Sinclair was also a head girl’s track coach at Hoover High School, home of the Huskies, for two years and was an assistant football coach for the Grandview Vikings, a private college here in Des Moines for three years.

Sinclair said he wanted to become the new AD at North because, “I’ve always had as strong passion with sports and working with kids. After my two year coaching stint at North I always said I wanted to return when the right opportunity presented itself.” Sinclair replaced former AD Brian Tate who was the AD at North for three years and was at North for a total of seven years, but has been in the district for 26 years. Tate left North to go be a Student Improvement Leader at Amos Hiatt Middle School.

Sinclair works along side Terri Buban, who is the Athletic/Activities Secretary. “He involves me more, we do everything together, and I was never able to do that with Tate” Buban said. Buban has been at North for 12 years. When asked what she liked most about Sinclair she said “He’s involved in everything, no task is too small.”

As the Athletic Director Sinclair is in charge of all the sports that goes on at North High, making sure they run smoothly, making sure all the officials are there, everything is set up correctly, etc.

Sinclair said if he wouldn’t of got the job as the new athletic director here at North he thinks he would still be coaching football for Grandview and teaching at Meredith Middle School.