Rob Allen has, in his eyes, the best of both worlds.

The Lebanon High School athletic director position - which Allen took over on an interim basis in January - has allowed him to continue spending time with athletes while also moving in a new direction.

"I'm in seventh heaven right now, being with the kids and working with coaches," he said.

Allen said Friday he decided last month that he would like to continue as the school's AD and district superintendent Jim Robinson agreed.

This fall, Allen will start his 28th year at the school as the head football and track and field coach - positions he already held - as well as athletic director.

Allen said it was "very, very important" that he was able to continue coaching while also handling the AD duties.

Allen said high school principal Mark Finch is working with him on his teaching load.

He expects to have just one or two classes each trimester, which will be important in the fall, when football begins.

Beyond his newest duties, Allen's spring was made a bit busier with the wet weather that caused numerous rainouts, requiring rescheduling.

But, Allen said, it went better than expected.

"It definitely was a whirlwind. It was quite the experience," he said. "I was pretty happy with the way it went."

Allen said one of the biggest surprises was how helpful other Mid-Willamette Conference athletic directors were with him in dealing with situations Allen was encountering for the first time.

"The guys were just awesome about helping make decisions," he said.