QUICK READ: Knights closing in on new coach

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The clubhouse lead for athletic director with the busiest summer itinerary belonged to Jerry Krieg, and that distinction is unlikely to change.

St. Charles East’s jock boss faces coaching searches in baseball, girls soccer and boys volleyball – one better than Kaneland counterpart Leigh Jaffke’s quest to fill spots in boys basketball and softball.

Kaneland could shrink its agenda to one as soon as today, however, as Jaffke and Co. are close to finding a new boys basketball coach. Interviews with prospective candidates began last week and continued this week, with added urgency to make a hire before basketball camp begins Monday.

“That’s what we’d like and what we’re shooting for,” Jaffke said. “We’re looking at hopefully the end of this week.”

Both searches stemmed from a June 4 meeting in which the Kaneland school board accepted former coach and teacher Dennis Hansen’s resignation following an investigation into “inappropriate behavior” toward students.

Hansen’s successors will be busy leading the Knights into a new conference beginning in 2010-11, but at least the picture is clearing. Kaneland and Western Sun Conference brethren DeKalb, Rochelle, Sycamore and Yorkville are set to join Dixon, Geneseo, LaSalle-Peru, Morris, Ottawa, Sterling and Streator of the North Central Illinois Conference’s Reagan Division in a league to be named at 10 a.m. Monday.

Principals from the member schools will choose among three names before unveiling the moniker and other structural details in a news conference at LaSalle-Peru. Yorkville athletic director Seth Schoonover is set to be named the first president of the conference.

“We’re looking forward to just kind of kicking off getting all 12 schools together and starting this process,” Schoonover said.

Instant Coffey: Jordan Coffey scored the final run of Batavia’s record-setting baseball season on Monday, dashing home as Bulldogs coach Matt Holm waved him in from second base on a Tyler Lindquist single.

It wasn’t the first time Coffey showed his speed as a senior, and Holm factored into that, too.

“After my surgery, I gained like 20 pounds, and luckily he’d been keeping us in shape with our running and stuff,” Coffey said. “I’ve been able to get some good jumps on the bases and gotten a couple of good reads in the outfield.”

A three-sport athlete (football, basketball), Coffey underwent offseason surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder and was restricted from pitching to begin the spring. He quickly got back into shape thanks to Holm’s renewed emphasis on conditioning – separate from the variety that followed rare Bulldogs’ losses.

Coffey played center and right field in the first few games before settling into the designated hitter’s role, where he treated teammates to the sight of an occasional triple. He returned to the mound and the outfield for the stretch run as Batavia set a new school standard for wins with 30.

Jess again: Recent East graduate Jess Nier followed her big brother’s footsteps to the IHSA state meet this spring, qualifying in the 300 hurdles two years after Travis Nier, who also competed in the 4x400-meter relay.

“Runs in the family a little bit,” Jess said.

For now, skipping track in college does, too, although that could change. Jess plans to meet with Iowa State coaches about walking on when she visits for orientation later this month. Travis also played football at East but participates in neither sport at Indiana.

• Kevin Druley is a sports reporter for the Chronicle. Call him at 630-845-5347 or e-mail kdruley@kcchronicle.com.