Billy Kirk accepted the job as Gainesville’s new athletic director just in time to watch the Red Elephants baseball team make a run to the state championship series in May. It was a fitting introduction to a school with a rich tradition of success in athletics, something Kirk is reminded of each day as he passes by the wall of trophies inside the front office doors. Kirk acknowledged that the job comes with its fair share of pressure, including inevitable comparisons to his predecessor, Wayne Vickery, who won five baseball state titles as coach, before leading the school to many more region and state championships as athletic director during a career spanning more than three decades at Gainesville.