SAN ANTONIO – Mules football has found their new leading man.
After serving 12 seasons as head football coach and athletic coordinator at Johnson High School, Ron Rittimann is leaving the Jaguars to become the new Athletic Director at Alamo Heights Independent School District and head football coach for the Mules. Rittimann takes over for retired head coach Mike Norment, who led the Alamo Heights football team for the past 24 seasons.
Rittimann was the first head football coach in Johnson high school history, holding the position since the school opened in 2008.
The move was approved by the Alamo Heights School District Board of Trustees on Thursday night. The official press release is available below:
AHISD PRESS RELEASE (February 20th, 2020) - Alamo Heights ISD proudly announces that Ron Rittimann will serve the district as the next Athletic Director and Head Football Coach of the Alamo Heights Mules.
Rittimann has worked for the last 12 years as the Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach at Johnson High School, where he was the direct supervisor for 34 coaches with an average of 800 athletes annually. During his tenure as Head Football Coach, Johnson earned district and state semi-finalists titles. Under his leadership as Athletic Coordinator, Johnson High School’s athletic teams were district-level champions in one sport or another, every year, for multiple years, with many sports progressing to state semi-finalist rankings. Academic All-Star students increased annually during his tenure and every sport under his direction experienced playoff runs throughout the course of his time at Johnson High School.
Alamo Heights ISD Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Dana Bashara shared, “I’m excited to welcome Coach Rittimann to join our AHISD Administrative Team as our new Athletic Director! He is a coach who prioritizes leadership and character development in his student athletes and is described by those who know him as someone who leads by example through actions and decisions that consistently align with his integrity and values.”
“In addition to serving our community as Athletic Director, Coach Rittimann will also serve as our Alamo Heights High School Head Football Coach - the model that is used in many single high school districts across the state. He is passionate about coaching and feels called to continue that commitment,” shared Dr. Bashara.
Rittimann was awarded the prestigious Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) Tom Landry award in 2019. The award recognizes one coach in the state for making significant contributions to the sport and for serving as a positive role model for both athletes and coaches across the state.
Rittimann has earned other accolades and awards, including being named San Antonio Coach of the year 4 times (2009, 2011, 2013, 2017), Dave Campbell’s 5A Team of the Year (2013), and serving at the state level on the THSCA Board of Directors.
“This is a very exciting opportunity, a dream career experience that comes at a great time for me and my family. I have worked and lived in the greater San Antonio community for 30 years and know that Alamo Heights is a great community with high expectations and a ton of support for their kids and programs. They want their students to be successful and the goals that they have set for their programs fits right in line with my philosophy of coaching and leadership,“ shared Rittimann.
“I know that Coach Rittimann’s many leadership talents are going to shape the future of our athletic program for years to come, and he will be invaluable in promoting our AHISD culture of excellence,” shared Dr. Bashara.
Alamo Heights ISD students, staff and community are invited to attend a “Meet & Greet” reception on Friday, February 28, from 4:30 – 5:30 PM in the Alamo Heights High School Auditorium Foyer, 6900 Broadway, to welcome Rittimann to AHISD!