When the opportunity to hire a new assistant athletic director presented itself, Mike Lee knew exactly whom he wanted at that position.
“My first and only conversation regarding that job was with coach [Kirk] Bock,” said Lee, the athletic director at Bryant High School. “He is the perfect person to assume those duties.”
As the new assistant athletic director, Bock — who is this year’s Tri-Lakes Edition Baseball Coach of the Year — will oversee the spring sports, as well as some winter coverage.
“Mike Lee is our athletic director, and I can’t believe anybody who would want his job,” Bock said, “all the time and energy he puts into it. This allows him to get a little break.”
Bock said Lee would go to practices and to all the games.
“He was really a huge help for not only my coaching staff but for every sport we have on campus,” Bock said.
“It started to spread the guy too thin. I will help him out right there and take some of the strain off of him.”
Bock will continue to assist football head coach Buck James with the quarterbacks in the fall. Bock also said he will not step away from baseball completely, just at the high school.
“I am not going to be away from it altogether,” Bock said. “I will still be involved with our youth programs, and anytime Travis [Queck] needs some help or advice, I will be there for him.
“I have the utmost respect for him.”
Lee said Bock will observe coaches in their area of discipline, game-management skills, practicing skills and handling of student athletes.
“He brings a wealth of experience and successful experience,” Lee said. “He will shed some light on what we need to work on and help shed some light on where coaches are exceeding.”
According to Bock, Bryant had an assistant athletic director about 10 or 12 years ago, but the position hasn’t been filled in about seven years.
“Paul Gattin was the assistant athletic director my first year, eight years ago,” Bock said.
Queck, who has been the assistant baseball coach six of the past eight years, has been appointed as the new head baseball coach for the Bryant Hornets.
“[Bock] is a mentor, and I consider him a father figure — even though he doesn’t like when I do — he is right up there with my own dad,” Queck said. “I can go to [Bock] for everything. He is a mentor, a leader and a friend.”
Queck graduated from Bryant in 2005 and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, graduating in 2009 with a degree in business and finance. But after graduating, Queck decided he wanted to get into coaching, so he went to Bock and asked to volunteer and learn.
“What a great decision that was for me,” Queck said.
While at Bryant, Queck was a starter on the baseball team, which was led by Travis Wood (who is now with the Chicago Cubs) and former head coach Terry Harper and reached the state finals in 2004 and the state semifinals in 2005. Queck was also a starter on defense for the Bryant football team that won a conference championship in 2004, going 10-2.
After serving as a volunteer, he went to White Hall and helped with football and basketball before returning to Bryant as a full-time assistant in 2013.
“[Bock] taught me how to handle kids, to not be too strict and not be too demanding, but also expect attitude and effort every day,” Queck said. “He taught me how to look at the game differently — not necessary the game itself, but the details that lead up to the game. …
“I have the utmost respect for the man. I almost can’t put it into words, really.”
In 2016, Bock, 51, reached 600 career wins as a high school baseball coach while leading the Hornets to a fourth 7A state title, his fifth, including one at Harrison. He’s been named Coach of the Year in the Central Conference and coached in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star game on Tuesday in Conway.
“[Coach Bock] has been so influential to all of us, but now he has to do the same for his family,” said Bryant graduate Evan Lee, who was named the Tri-Lakes Edition Baseball Player of the Year. “He has been been looking out for us year to year, but now he has to make sure his family is all right.
“I think things will fall right into place with Coach Queck. He knows the process and knows what is to be expected, so nothing will change. I look for those guys to definitely be a front runner for conference champions and state contenders.”
Bock said having Queck as the new head coach made the decision to step down and take the new position that much easier.
“For me, it was all about loyalty,” Bock said. “And Queck is one of the most loyal individuals I have ever been around in my life.”
Bock said it makes the transition a lot easier promoting from within, rather than going out and finding a brand-new coach.
“We have a system, and it has been instrumental in developing our program,” Bock said. “He has been right there the whole time, as far as the program goes. It is not going to skip a beat.”
At Bryant, Bock was 214-44, including 92-7 in the past three seasons. He said he gets to the office at 4:15 a.m. and sometimes doesn’t get home until 9 p.m. or later. So making the change from head coach to assistant athletic director was an easy one, as it allows him to spend more time with his family.
“For the first time, I am able to put my family first and not me,” Bock said. “For the long run, this is much better.”
Mike Lee said Bock is a true professional and “is really passionate about whatever he is involved in.
“He takes a lot of ownership, has a good work ethic and just his attention to detail. He has a passion for learning that really separates himself from other coaches.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.