Vinton County schools board hires assistant principal, Lady Vikings coach

Matt Rann will join Vinton County Middle School as assistant middle school principal on a two-year contract, and Austin Thrapp will take over as the Lady Vikings varsity basketball coach for the 2026-2027 season. For families in Vinton County, those hires affect both the school day and the winter sports calendar, putting new leadership in two places that shape students’ daily routines.

The Vinton County Local Schools Board of Education approved both moves at its regular meeting Monday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the District Office, 307 West High St. in McArthur. The board’s action added Rann to the middle school leadership team and gave the girls basketball program a new head coach before the next school year and season get underway.

Rann’s role matters most inside the building. An assistant middle school principal is typically part of the team that handles discipline, scheduling, family communication and other day-to-day issues that can affect how smoothly students move through the school day. At the middle school level, where transitions and behavior support often need close attention, that office helps set the tone for classrooms, hallways and parent contact.

District information had already listed Vinton County Middle School with Principal Thomas Haskell and Assistant Principal Melinda Wright, so Rann’s hiring adds another layer to the administration that will guide the building this fall. For parents, that means a new name in the office when questions come up about attendance, student behavior or school routines.

Thrapp, who is from Logan, brings a different kind of responsibility. As the new Lady Vikings varsity basketball coach, he will be in charge of a program that remains one of the most visible athletic teams in the county. His hiring gives Vinton County High School a new leader for the 2026-2027 season and for the offseason work that comes before it.

The board’s June 15 personnel decisions show the district filling key jobs before students return and athletes begin preparing for competition. In a rural school system, those appointments can shape everything from hallway discipline to team culture, and both hires now sit at the center of that work.