By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Forty-one years is long enough. The USD 428 Board of Education accepted the retirement of Great Bend High School Principal Tim Friess, effective June 1, 2024, during last Monday's meeting. The dream of being a coach turned into the goal of being an educator. That all started when Friess was just a teenager at Lyons High School.
"I thought when I was 16 years old as a junior I wanted to coach," he said. "I figured the only way you can coach is if you're going to teach. I decided as a junior in high school that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach."
Friess graduated from Lyons in 1978, then attended the University of Kansas, where he was recruited to play running back but ended up as a defensive end for the football team. After graduating as a Jayhawk, Friess began his career in Great Bend in the fall of 1983. He spent the first two years splitting time as a physical education teacher at GBHS and as an adaptive PE teacher at the elementary schools. He spent the next 11 years as PE teacher at Lincoln and Washington schools.
And he lived out his dream of coaching. Friess coached 13 years of freshman basketball before taking his first administration role as assistant principal at GBHS in 1996. He also spent eight years as a varsity football assistant coach before taking over head coaching duties for three seasons from 1988-90.
In 2008, Friess received his final promotion to principal at GBHS. He said the biggest difference between his administrative and teaching roles was being 'in charge of people,' though that role never really stuck.
"I never considered myself in charge of anything like that," he said. "It took me away from the kids a little bit, which I tried not to let that happen. Teaching and being in the classroom or being on the playground with kids is a lot different than being in an office away from kids a lot of the time."
Friess accomplished many things in his 41 years with the district though no one single feat stood out. It was more about carrying out a motto daily.
"I always felt like whatever the kid needed, we'd do the best we could to try and get it for them," he said. "I just tried to carry that through every day. If you've got it and you don't share it with others, it's wrong."
Friess plans to spend his new downtime with his wife, Brenda, and four grandchildren, all of whom live in Great Bend. He will miss his coworkers and carrying out the district's mission.
"Overall, I'll miss working with the people that are here," he said. "I'm proud of the fact that this school treats kids well and that's their first priority."