Morocco — Just one week after North Newton brought back a former girls basketball coach to take over the vacant boys basketball position, they did just the opposite with the girls position.

Stew Hammel was named the new head girls basketball coach on Wednesday, replacing Mark Christenson.

Last week, Bob Gonczy was named the boys head coach after coaching the North Newton girls for five years previously.

Hammel has been the head boys coach at Hobart, North Judson and North Newton, and former Spartans athletic director and assistant principal before retiring from coaching. That was 19 years ago.

“I’ve been working at North Newton on a substitute basis and I’ve gotten to know quite a bit of the students,” Hammel said.

“Being an old coach, I’ve had many years to rejuvenate.”

After retiring from the coaching aspect of high school, he spent 12 more years as the superintendent in the Donovan School System before officially retiring from full-time employment two years ago.

Christenson spent four years as girls coach before choosing to step away and spend more time as a farmer in Morocco. The Spartans went 10-9 last season, losing to Winamac in the first round of the sectional.

If Hammel’s name sounds familiar, it’s because his daughter was a prominent part of a state finalist squad 21 years ago.

Tammy Hammel was on the Crown Point team that lost 55-50 to Bedford North Lawrence in the 1983 state championship. She was on the Indiana All-Star squad and was named to the All-State team.