Castleton said goodbye to two valued members of the college community in December with the departure of head football coach Marc Klatt, and Dean of College Advancement Colleen Klatt.
The couple came to Castleton six years ago, Marc as assistant coach for the brand new football team, and Colleen as director of Grants and Research.
In 2011 Marc took over the head-coaching job and in 2012 Colleen was promoted to dean of College Advancement.
Marc’s decision to resign came after a rough 2013 season, with the Spartans only winning one game. Early in the season, a number of key players were suspended for disciplinary reasons stemming from thefts from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Colleen’s resignation came soon after.
Marc did not return a voicemail left on his answering machine, but he did speak with a reporter for d3football.com in December.
“When you go through a season like this, it gets you to take stock in a lot of things,” he said in the interview.
“I think we have reached a point where someone else is needed to move the program forward. There comes a point where the same old tactics and strategies aren’t working and it’s time to move forward, ” Marc said.
However, even after a difficult 2013 season, it can’t be forgotten that Marc led the team to its most successful season yet in 2012, and the football program now has some of the highest attendance figures in the country for division three schools, College President Dave Wolk said.
Eric Mimnaugh played two seasons for Klatt, and witnessed his passion first-hand.
“He focused on making us not just a team, but a family,” Mimnaugh said. “His presence will be missed, but he left behind a great foundation to build on.”
Colleen was named dean on College Advancement in August of 2012 and led the charge to modernize marketing and promotions for Castleton, Wolk said.
Director of College Relations Jeff Weld said her leadership will be greatly missed.
“The year and a half that I spent working with Colleen was really a huge learning experience for me,” Weld said.
In Colleen’s absence, Weld is now overseeing communications and marketing, and the whole department is being reorganized. Wolk said he currently has no plans to replace her position.
Regarding Marc’s job, the school has already received over 150 resumes and letters from coaches interested in coming to Castleton, Wolk said.  Coaches from all over the country and from every division have applied, he said.
“It’s actually amazing that the job has generated so much interest nationally,” said Wolk, who hopes to have someone aboard by March to give the team a smooth transition.
Although they will be missed, Wolk said he wishes them luck in the future, saying that he will write them “very positive letters of recommendation.”
 “I don’t know of anyone who put in more time on behalf of our students and the college than Marc and Colleen,” Wolk said. “They really poured their lives into the college.”