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Klabunde, Sam to coach North teams By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN North Medford High has hired its boys and girls golf head coaches for the 2000 season. Kevin Klabunde has been named boys coach, replacing Brad Bills, and Tim Sam is the girls coach. Klabunde, 45, a two-time Southern Oregon Golf Tournament junior-senior champion and two-time runner-up in the men's open division, has been an assistant under Bills since 1994. "I'm excited about taking over the program," says Klabunde. "Brad (Bills) and I have put in a lot of time together over the past five years, and it's nice to have the chance to keep things going now that I know the program. "I think Brad (Bills) is excited, too, because he didn't want to be totally out of the program," says Klabunde. "He's going to help me coach on a part-time basis." Bills was North Medford's boys and girls coach the past three seasons. But North Medford Athletic Director Mike Kay says he felt it was important to build the girls and boys programs with different head coaches. "We want to build the girls program up and get the numbers back up," says Kay. "That will be what Tim will work on before next season." For the first time in school history, North Medford did not field a full girls team for matches last spring. "I've already been talking to four or five younger girls, and they are planning to play next year," says Sam. "That's just the start. "We want to build the program so we have identity as the favorite in the league (Southern Oregon Conference) and the team to beat. At North Medford, one of the bigger high schools in the state in an area where golf is big, there's no reason we can't do that. Sam, 35, is also an assistant coach for North Medford's boys basketball program under Gene Quilhaugh. He is a varsity assistant and head junior varsity coach. "I've had a dream of taking over a program and turning it around," says Sam. "I thought it was going to be in basketball." Sam first began playing golf at age 21 and, since getting serious about the game in recent years, has lowered his handicap to 4.9 at Eagle Point Golf Course. "I'm excited to get a chance to work with young kids and help them develop their golf games," he says. Sam will inherit one of the top high school girl players in the state in junior Tai Kinney. Kinney won the SOC in 1998 and was second this past spring. She's twice placed among the top 10 at the Class 4A state championships, finishing sixth in 1999 and eighth in '98. "I want to put North Medford girls golf on the map," says Sam. "Tai will help me do that, but I'm already excited about some new kids coming into the program." In boys golf, North Medford must replace 1999 seniors Kyle Freeman and Justin Wise. "The one thing I know is we have a bunch of kids coming back with great golf swings," says Klabunde. "That's exciting." He said top returning players are junior Matt Dunbar, seniors Paul Srisarakorn, Derek Muir and Kelly Brown and juniors Colin Hunter and Adam Huycke. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.