Russellville Jr./Sr. High School Principal Ben Bruni has announced the school’s two newest members of the Administrative team. As the new school year approaches, the school welcomes new Assistant Principal Carlos Quarles and new Athletic Director Kyle Yates.
Quarles replaces long time Russellville teacher and assistant principal Brandon Blake, who is leaving to take a principal position outside of the district. Quarles has worked as a PE/Health teacher for the past decade at Warren Central High School in Bowling Green where he was instrumental in the development of summer and after school feeding programs as well as working in multiple mentoring initiatives with special needs and at-risk students.
While at Warren Central, Quarles served as an assistant basketball coach and assistant football coach where he coached in six boys basketball regional championship games, three times winning births to the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen, and three regional championship games in football.
Quarles actually began his teaching career in Russellville, teaching PE and coaching football and basketball while working at Russellville Middle School.
A native of Western Kentucky, Quarles was a standout student athlete for Hopkinsville High School and would go on to play football at Western Kentucky University where he earned his bachelor's in exercise science. Quarles also holds a Master’s Degree and Rank I certification in Educational Administration.
On his new position, Quarles stated, “I am excited for the opportunity to return to the Russellville Independent system where I began my professional career. More than anything, I am excited to be a part of the Panther Nation and to begin to build meaningful relationships with the students and members of our community. I believe in the vision of excellence that is the expectation at Russellville and I believe in the power of the top notch faculty and staff that we have at our school as well as being blessed to have the best kids in the state of Kentucky to work with. Russellville is a special tight-knit family and I cannot say enough about what an honor it is to be a part of it.”
New Athletic Director Kyle Yates hails from Warren Central High School as well. Yates joins the Russellville Family with nearly a decade in public education and an extensive background in athletics. Yates replaces former Russellville Girls Basketball and Softball coach, as well as Athletic Director Calvin Head, who has taken a teaching position outside of the district.
Yates, who is a native of Warren County, has been on the Western Kentucky athletic scene for the majority of his career. Having taught and coached in Christian County, Caldwell County, Logan County and Warren County Yates has worked as a high school head girls and noys soccer coach, head middle school girls and boys basketball coach, head middle school baseball coach, and as an assistant high school baseball coach. Most recently, Yates served as the head baseball coach at Moss Middle School and as a baseball assistant at his alma mater, Warren Central.
Yates was a standout baseball player at Warren Central where he was a dominant pitcher in the 4th Region during some of Warren Central’s best baseball years. Yates would go on to pitch at Lindsey Wilson College and then finished with a bachelor’s from Murray State University. Additionally, Yates holds a Master’s in Exercise Science.
Yates’ roll of Athletic Director for Russellville Middle and High School will be his first administrative position.
He says, “This is a wonderful opportunity for me to grow professionally. I have always been passionate about the impact athletics can have on young people's lives and to be entrusted with the guidance of the tradition rich programs of Russellville Jr. and Sr. High School is a humbling experience. I look forward to supporting all sports here at Russellville and building off of the positive momentum that has been gained here through the previous administration.
“We want to be the best in everything we do at Russellville and I believe that that is a mission shared by all here. I look forward to supporting all of our coaches, student-athletes, and future Panthers as we continue the tradition of excellence that our community expects.”
Yates and his wife Amanda are the parents of two daughters.