Abercrombie named new Blue Ridge athletic director

Austin Abercrombie will serve as Blue Ridge athletic director beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

Beginning next year, Austin Abercrombie will assume the role of athletic director at Blue Ridge High School.

Current Blue Ridge athletic director Shane Clark will retire following the school year’s conclusion, paving the way for Abercrombie to take over the position.

Abercrombie currently serves as assistant athletic director and pitching coach/assistant coach for the Tigers’ baseball team.

“I’m extremely honored to accept this role,” said Abercrombie. “From a competitive pool of so many applicants, I’m humbled to have been chosen.”

Abercrombie, who attended both Blue Ridge Middle and High Schools, said the love for the Blue Ridge community sown in him as a boy has prepared him for his new role.

“What’s different about me from some of the other applicants is that I grew up here,” said Abercrombie. “I grew up in the Blue Ridge area—in the house down the road behind the gas station, right near the Dollar General. This community has been a big part of my life for as long as I know.”

Abercrombie has been passionate about Tiger athletics since he was a boy, he said, which is thanks to his father.

“My dad instilled a love for Blue Ridge sports into me from an early age,” said Abercrombie. “He graduated from Blue Ridge, too.”

The Blue Ridge community is different than most, said Abercrombie, which is what he loves about the area the most.

It’s not just a school or a place on the map.

“Blue Ridge is a family. That’s what sets us apart,” said Abercrombie. “We have a funnel system here of elementary through high schools. You start at the bottom and stay within the community. That’s where the family aspect of this place is created. There’s nowhere quite like it.

“I’m ready to get started. Don’t get me wrong, it’s going to be a lot of work. But this is a dream come true.”