Ron Spandet, principal of Marquette High School in Ottawa for 10 years, has announced plans to retire next June. In addition, the school introduced Dr. Tom Jobst as its new football coach.

Spandet, 66, spent 28 years at Ottawa Township High School as a teacher and later assistant principal prior to accepting the Marquette post in 2000. He oversaw Marquette’s 150th anniversary celebration this year.

A statement issued by Father Philip Halfacre, pastors’ board president, on behalf of the board and the education community, thanked Spandet for “his dedicated and faithful service to our school over the past 10 years. He is a good man and he will be missed.”

In September, plans were announced to reconfigure Marquette and St. Patrick’s and St. Columba’s elementary schools to create one school on three campuses. The new entity will be known as Marquette Academy.
Spandet told The Times newspaper “the time seemed right to me” to retire.

Meanwhile, Jobst — a former head football coach at Morrison High School and Ottawa Township High School — was introduced as Marquette’s head football coach on Dec. 7. He succeeds Jim Eustice.

Jobst has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, and his 34-year career in education includes service as principal and superintendent at Ottawa Township High School. In addition to coaching football at Marquette, he will serve as coordinator of curriculum.