Concordia’s Girls, Boys Tennis Coaches retire

October 27, 2021

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Congratulations to Steve Butz, Girls Tennis Coach, and Rick Hanauer, Boys Tennis Coach, who have announced their retirements from Concordia Lutheran High School. 

For the past 10 years, Steve has served as the head coach for the girls tennis program at Concordia. His teams won 5 conference championships and 7 sectional championships. And while his record of accomplishments on the court certainly speak for themselves, the coach/athlete relationships he had with his players is really what constitutes success in the eyes of all who know Coach Butz.

In looking back over the course of his 10 years at Concordia, Steve shared the following:

"The sport of tennis is really more about the young people participating in the sport of tennis and having fun and exciting times during the season than it is about me. I'm very blessed to have been a part of CLHS. My assistant coaches, the players, the parents, and the administrators were just fabulous to work with in and out of season. The players displayed their Christ-centered attitudes at all times which allowed me to help them develop skills easily. I enjoy talking with players when they come back to the courts after graduation and hearing about all of the adventures they've had. I'd also like to thank Lee Ann Berning for her insight and guidance every year, and Dean Doerffler for calling me to be involved with the CLHS tennis program. I thank the good Lord every day for this opportunity."

For the past 3 of the past 4 years, Rick has served as the head coach for the boys tennis program at Concordia. His teams won 1 sectional championship during his time at Concordia. Rick is considered one of the top tennis coaches in the city and daily he inspired those under his tutelage at Concordia to work to excel at their craft. We thank Rick for his 3 years of service at Concordia and wish him the best as he moves on to other ventures in his personal and professional life.

Congratulations to them both!

Concordia Lutheran High School, located at 1601 St. Joe River Drive in Fort Wayne, Ind., was founded in 1935 as a private, co-educational Lutheran high school open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. With Christ at the center, Concordia continues to pursue educational excellence that equips individuals for lifelong learning and service as disciples of Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.clhscadets.com.