Mark Senftner, who built Sully Buttes’ football and girls basketball programs into state powerhouses, has resigned, effective Friday.
The A-B-O School Board, with what it called “great reluctance” accepted Senftner’s resignation as both a coach and teacher during a special board meeting held Thursday night. Senftner has been dealing with health issues for the past few years.
During seventeen years at Sully Buttes, Senftner made the football and girls’ basketball program perennial title contenders. He won four state girls’ basketball titles and took the Chargers’ football teams to the state championship game four times.
Many of Senftner’s players, including Chloe Lamb, Katelyn and Elizabeth Lamb, Remi and Racquel Wientjes, Rachel Guthmiller, Alexis Yackley, Tate Rinehart, Lewis and Morris Hofer, Hayden Handcock, Jacob Howard and Jett Lamb went on to star at the college level. Before joining Sully Buttes, Senftner had been a teacher and coach at Roscoe, Gregory and Timber Lake.
Board members also approved the hiring of Senftner’s son, Scott, to replace Senftner as a physical education teacher. Mark Senftner will serve as his son’s teaching mentor. Assistant girls basketball coach Susie Rilling was named as head coach. She coached with Senftner for nine years and has served as temporary head coach at times.
