New BSM Theology teacher Mr. Andy Witchger.
New Teacher: Andy Witchger, Theology
Andy Witchger is a new theology teacher this year, but this isn’t his first experience with the BSM community. As a long-term substitute teacher last spring, Witchger is familiar with the school and looks forward to spending an entire year with students and becoming more involved in the culture of BSM.
Witchger has been a teacher for 15 years, working at Holy Family for 12 years and 3 years in the Edina School District. However, now he has found a place in the Red Knight community. “Last year, I started as a long term [substitute] for Ms. Meagher when she was on maternity leave, and I didn’t expect to stay. I just thought that it would be a temporary thing, but I ended up liking the community and the kids that I had in class so much that I decided to stay,” Witchger said.
Witchger was inspired by his high school teachers and college professors to pursue a career in education, specifically theology. “I chose to teach theology because it’s a fascinating subject and I enjoy helping students come to a greater understanding for, and appreciation of, their religious tradition,” Witchger said in an email.
Outside of work, Witchger enjoys spending time hiking, fly fishing, and spending time in nature and has an interest in birds. “I research the population and migration of songbird, hawk and owl species… [my research] helps our understanding of various toxic chemicals and pollutants on specific species as well as trends in their overall population and habitat,” Witchger said in an email.
His fellow faculty members and students have made the transition from a long-term substitute to a full-time teacher much smoother. He is looking forward to teaching his freshman introduction to scripture course and sophomore pastoral ministry class. “I’m excited to just be here for a full school year instead of just like a couple of months at a time,” Witchger said.
Pat Krieger
Pat Krieger was the co-head coach of BSM’s varsity football team for twelve years, retiring after the 2016 season. Krieger led the team to the 2016 state championship where they narrowly defeated Winona to become football state champions. After the championship, Krieger retired from his position as co-head coach. “I was doing it for a long time… and it seemed like a good time to step down,” Krieger said.
While Krieger enjoyed his time coaching the team, he doesn’t regret his decision to step down. He misses leading the players through games and practices, but he appreciates all of his newly found free time. Krieger also finds his life to be much less stressful without his coaching duties draining his time and effort, as he can focus more on teaching business classes at BSM. Also, with a much more flexible schedule, Krieger is able to do more things on his own time without having extra athletic obligations. “My schedule is pretty open now, so I’m home earlier, I can do things around the house, exercise, things like that,” Krieger said.
Even though Krieger retired in 2016, his former co-head coach John Hanks convinced him to return and coach the team part-time in 2018. For the last two seasons, Krieger has led the team’s offensive line, devising plays and choosing when to use them during a game. Coaching part-time has provided a nice balance for Krieger. He’s happy to be back on the field instructing players, but he’s also grateful to have more free time than he did as a head coach. “At this point in my life, I’m at a good point. I’m staying involved and connected to the game part-time,” Krieger said.