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Show U.S. Ski Team announces alpine coaching staff changes The coaching staff of the US. Ski Team alpine program will sport a new look for the 1985 season following staff meetings - recently held in Park City, Utah. Heading the list of changes on the men's side will be Boone Lennon, who will replace Konrad Rickenbach as head men's coach, according accord-ing to a Ski Team press release. Lennon, 34, who joined the U.S. Ski Team last season as an assistant World Cup coach, is a product of the Sun Valley race program and will be responsible for the overall organization and direction of the entire men's program. Despite stepping down 1 from the head coaching position, Rickenbach will remain with the Ski Team in a development capacity, working with the National Training Group on a domestic level, the press release said. Rickenbach will be assisted by Gary Miller of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Tim LaVallee of Bethel, Maine, has been hired as a development coach to assist Harald Schoenhaar in coaches' education and to work in domestic development with Assistant Alpine Director Bob Harkins. French-born Jean Pierre Chatellard will assume the reins of the men's World Cup slalom and giant slalom efforts ef-forts from Tom Kelly, who resigned at the conclusion of the 1984 season, while the downhill duties will remain with Theo Nadig and Erik Steinberg. Chatellard has served as the Swedish National Team coach for the past seven seasons, working with racers such as Ingemar Stenmark and Stig Strand. Working with Chatellard, Terry Palmer, a member of the 1972 Olympic Team. For the women, Michel Rudigoz will remain at the controls as head coach while Europa Cup coach Brad Ghent moves up to take over the World Cup slalom and giant slalom program from John McMurtry, who resigned to go into private pri-vate business. World Cup downhill duties will fall to Bill Bourton, an assistant with the downhillers for the past two seasons, with the retirement of Ernst Hager. Bourton will be aided by Werner Margreiter, former Austrian women's head downhill coach, and Rick Turner, former head coach at Greek Peak, New York, while Aldo Radamus of Ski Club Vail will assist Ghent. "Whenever you experience a transition period with an athletic coaching staff," said U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director Direc-tor Bill Marolt, "it's always a tough time for the entire program. We are losing some people who meant a lot to our success over the past four years, but I feel that we are also gaining a group of coaches who can make that transition as smooth as possible. I am excited about what the future holds for the alpine program." |