Augusta native Tyler Nordman takes over as Highland Community College athletic director

The last four years, it wasn’t hard to make an argument for Tyler Nordman being the busiest man at Highland Community College.

In that time, Nordman remained in an almost constant state of motion as Highland’s Director of Student Life and Housing, and as the school’s public-address announcer at sporting events.

As an aside, he also helped with promotions, postgame events and marketing.

Turns out, all that work was part of a bigger plan – one that ended with Nordman, 27, being named Highland’s athletic director last month. He takes over for Greg Delzeit, who retired after 12 years as athletic director and 35 years at the college.

Nordman, an Augusta native, begins his new position Friday. He is the youngest athletic director in the 19-college Jayhawk Conference.

“I’m grateful, and I’m sure a little bit of luck came into play in all of this,” Nordman said. “To get into this position at this young of an age is a great opportunity. I just want to get in and go to work improving Highland. I was a student-athlete here, so this place means a lot to me. I really want us to be successful.”

Nordman’s deference to luck might be downplaying his own accomplishments. The 2007 Augusta High graduate played two basketball seasons for Highland before transferring to Newman, where he averaged 7.8 points as a senior in 2010-11.

Nordman spent the year after his graduation doing PA work and statistics for Newman before taking a job at Highland as an assistant in student life and housing. He became director 18 months ago.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do when I graduated, but I knew eventually I wanted to be in athletics in some capacity,” Nordman said. “When the job at Highland first opened, someone I’d worked for as a student there let me know and that’s how I got my foot in the door. Over the course of a couple of years, what was three full-time spots in that department became just me. I think how we did things on our end of campus showed the administration and people that run the school what kind of work ethic I had and my dedication to this place.”

Nordman has precious little time to get accustomed to his new job. He has to hire a baseball coach and an assistant athletic director before the school year begins.

“I’ve been trying to pick Greg’s brain as much as I could before he retires,” Nordman said. “Did I think I’d be in an AD role this quick? No way. I didn’t think that at all, but when the job opened up I thought I would throw my name in the hat and see what happens, and now I’m trying to learn what I can as quickly as possible. We’re going to do some stuff to try and promote our programs, because I think we have a lot of great things going on. Our women’s basketball team was the national runner-up two years ago, our football team handed Butler its first home loss two years ago and last season, we beat both Coffeyville and Hutchinson.

“We’re on our way up. We want to build on those things and keep moving.”

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Augusta native Tyler Nordman takes over as Highland Community College athletic director."