Maize South cross country coach Alan Birdsell, 66, dies

After a busy Tuesday morning, which included leading an offseason workout with the Maize South cross country team, Alan Birdsell returned to his Hesston home and took a nap.

Birdsell, 66, was found unresponsive in his bed the next day by law enforcement.

Maize South principal Dave Hickerson said he did not know all of the details of Birdsell’s death, but relayed what was told to him by Birdsell’s family in a district-wide e-mail on Thursday. School officials met with the Maize South cross country team Friday.

Birdsell, an English teacher in the Maize school district for nearly 40 years, retired from teaching in May and was planning on coaching one last season of cross country.

A memorial service will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at United Methodist Church in Hesston.

“You look at almost 40 years in one district and you think about the impact he made on so many kids’ lives,” Hickerson said. “Not just in the classroom, but outside of it with his coaching. We’re all in shock right now. Alan will be missed.”

After stepping down as a head coach, Birdsell returned to the Maize High cross country program when Skeeter Rankins became coach in 2001.

Even after Birdsell moved on to Maize South, the two kept in contact and Rankins, still the Maize cross country coach, considered him a friend.

Birdsell moved to Maize South in 2009 when the school opened and began teaching English at Maize South Middle School in 2013.

His girls cross country teams qualified for state the last five seasons, coming away with two team trophies and nine medalists, while his boys teams have gone to state the last three years with five state medalists. Birdsell was chosen the state’s Class 5A girls cross country coach of the year in 2014.

Birdsell’s assistant coach, Brian Hutton, said the team was in shock when they heard the news on Thursday. They had worked out with him on Tuesday and found it odd when no one heard from him on Wednesday.

“He was never concerned about winning championships,” Hutton said. “He wanted to make every kid better and maybe teach them a little about running in the process. That will be his legacy and he will be sorely missed.”

This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Maize South cross country coach Alan Birdsell, 66, dies."