Justin Slauterbeck returning home to be Oak Harbor’s AD

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

After working at a variety of schools throughout Ohio for the last decade, Oak Harbor native Justin Slauterbeck is returning home.
The former Rocket will take over for Dan Hoover, who is retiring as the high school’s athletic director.
Slauterbeck, 38, is a 2004 graduate of Oak Harbor and has been an AD for the last decade. He comes home after two years as the AD at Otsego High School, which was preceded by six years as the AD at Van Buren High School, located just outside of Findlay, and two years at The Miami Valley School in Dayton.
Slauterbeck holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Bowling Green State University and master’s degrees from Texas Tech University and Ohio University.
Hoover talked about what Slauterbeck brought to the table.
“His experience was probably the biggest thing, that and his know-how as far as being an AD would make for an easier transition,” said Hoover. “Justin’s a good guy, very knowledgeable. He’s on the Northwest District Board, and he knows how to run tournaments. He’s a hometown boy, and he cares about the community and what happens here. I can retire easy knowing that the athletic department and the kids are taken care of.
“His parents live in Oak Harbor, he has nieces and nephews in Oak Harbor, and he wanted to be closer to family,” Hoover said.
Slauterbeck, who has worked in small towns and big cities like Columbus and Dayton, said he is excited to be coming home.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. I don't think it has hit me yet that I'm coming home. It has been a dream of mine to come back and serve the wonderful community of Oak Harbor,” he said. “I have a combined eight years (of experience) between Otsego and Van Buren. Van Buren gave me my first opportunity at a public school back in 2016 and then I spent the last two years at Otsego. For two years, I was at a private school, The Miami Valley School, and I also worked for three years at The Wellington School in multiple roles within the athletic department. “The world of athletics is similar at every school, however there are always little idiosyncrasies at each school to learn. Having that experience at two public schools, I believe, gives me the ability to adapt to Oak Harbor and lead successfully.”
Slauterbeck’s resume is as long as it is impressive.
“I believe the most important piece of my professional background is my master’s in athletic administration from Ohio University. Their program allowed me to learn about the Athletic Director role and complete leadership courses through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA),” he said. “I’m a proud member of NW-OIAAA/OIAAA/NIAAA and am a Certified Athletic Administrator through NIAAA. Those professional relationships allow all athletic directors to grow exponentially through their career.”
Slauterbeck has also been a head coach and an assistant in wrestling, football, bowling and lacrosse at the high school and middle school levels.
He was also a good athlete in high school, helping the Rockets on the gridiron and on the wrestling mat.
“My experiences with sports at Oak Harbor have significantly contributed to my aspiration to return as athletic director. Playing for Coach (Gary) Quisno and Coach (George) Bergman taught me invaluable life skills that I continue to use today. The profound impact a coach can have on a young person's life is remarkable, and my hope is for everyone involved in Oak Harbor Athletics to have a similarly positive influence on the students,” said Slauterbeck. “The memories and relationships formed during my time at Oak Harbor are of utmost importance to me. My personal success would not have happened if it weren’t for my great teammates and great coaches.”
Former classmate Eric Dusseau, who is an assistant with the football and basketball teams, talked about the kind of football player Slauterbeck was.
“I remember Justin played defensive back. He was a hard-nosed kid, which came with his wrestling background,” Dusseau said. “He wasn’t afraid to come up and make a tackle, which is something a coach really likes out of a cornerback. Most of the time, they tend to be not-so-sure tacklers, but that wasn’t Justin. He would stick you.”
As juniors, the duo led the Rockets to a Sandusky Bay Conference title and the program’s first home playoff victory.