ELLSWORTH – Ellsworth has found its new athletic director, a person who has plenty of experience in the area and connections to the community in Kevin Haglund.

Haglund graduated from high school in Pepin and his family is from Plum City. After playing college football at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Haglund coached two years with the team, working with strength and conditioning and linebackers.

Haglund earned a master’s degree in counseling, eventually becoming a school counselor and head football coach at Prescott.

Four years passed before Haglund became the elementary principal in Plum City and the athletic director for Elmwood/Plum City. In 2021, Haglund picked up an admin degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Through all of this, Haglund has learned the importance of having everyone on board with the process and moving forward together.

“There’s a lot more to athletics than I think everybody sees,” Haglund said. “It takes a village to make all of this stuff work, and not one person can do it themselves.”

The combination of a bigger school district, living closer to his Prescott home and a chance to be around coaches with whom he has close connections. Ellsworth was the place Haglund chose to land.

Haglund has relationships in the community and is excited to start working with local businesses and community members to make Ellsworth sports even more exciting.

“I’m big on relationships, so I love the community partnerships,” Haglund said. “It’s going to be a team approach between myself, the coaches, the administration, the players, the parents, all of us are doing what’s best for the kids.”

While serving as athletic director at Elmwood/Plum City, Haglund enjoyed getting to know each and every student-athlete as individuals. Haglund looks forward to getting to meet all of Ellsworth’s student-athletes.

Haglund wants to be present at as many athletic events as possible, to be visible for the student-athletes, coaches and spectators. In return, Haglund expects respect and sportsmanship from everyone involved with Ellsworth.

“I have high expectations for upholding the ideals of sportsmanship, but high expectations for our coaches, as well as our fans and our players too,” Haglund said.

From the inside perspective, Haglund said at schools of Ellsworth’s size, there must be cooperation between teams. There will be times when the gym, the equipment or transportation will be needed by multiple teams, and Haglund wants coaches to value other teams as much as they do their own.

“It’s our programs, it’s not just, ‘Oh, well this is my football program,’” Haglund said. “If we start getting into the me’s and the I’s, then that’s not going to be great for the we’s and the us’s.”

The primary goal for Haglund is to help make Ellsworth the place people want to be. Whether it be the place students want to attend, officials want to work or families want to watch a game, Haglund wants to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

While coaching applicants in the area can often be difficult to find, Haglund wants to turn Ellsworth into a place where coaches are lining up to be hired.