Fayetteville Has Their New Coach

[Pig in the Pokey]

For students on a daily basis?

naw, not really. Sucks to pick up or drop off my son, though.

[ricepig]

naw, not really. Sucks to pick up or drop off my son, though.

Just for ball games, luckily for FHS, the don't pack them in, unless Bentonville is the visitors.

[FANONTHEHILL]

To the three people who posted in here regarding Coach Blankenship thank you.

[MikePiazza]

Just for ball games, luckily for FHS, the don't pack them in, unless Bentonville is the visitors.

Bentonville vs. Fayetteville basketball games will look like a ghost town this year compared to the previous three years.

[BirmingHam]

I think the rich part is more significant. 

I was attacking the rich white choosing where to send their kids in NWA, like LR doesn't share this trait with minority students.  Not a area specific situation.  Even when I lived outside Birmingham, I sent my son to Oneonta instead of Locust Fork.  It had to do with level of education being taught, and the Locust Fork school not really caring to upgrade their standards.  Even happened in the 70's with Ozark/Altus/PV.  You just had to add that racial dig, and I bet you'll find that rich minority families transfer their kids too (Monk, ahmm)

[Inhogswetrust]

I was attacking the rich white choosing where to send their kids in NWA,like LR doesn't share this trait with minority students.  Not a area specific situation.  Even when I lived outside Birmingham, I sent my son to Oneonta instead of Locust Fork.  It had to do with level of education being taught, and the Locust Fork school not really caring to upgrade their standards.  Even happened in the 70's with Ozark/Altus/PV.  You just had to add that racial dig, and I bet you'll find that rich minority families transfer their kids too (Monk, ahmm)

Happens EVERYWHERE all across the country and world and it's not always rich white. It's just plain rich.

[Oklahawg]

Odd that so many are arguing about data that is easily researched.

And not talking about Blankenship.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

To the three people who posted in here regarding Coach Blankenship thank you.

By the way, the only better hire they might have made from the Region might have been Allen Trimble from Jenks HS who is apparently having some issues with the Jenks Administration, but they will probably do everything that they can to retain him.

Bill Blankenship will prove to be a very good hire for Fayetteville HS.

[bcdeputy]

The size of the city has nothing to do with the size of a school district, lol.

Nothing to do with it?  Think again...

[ricepig]

Nothing to do with it?  Think again...

Jonesboro has 70,000 and Greenwood has 9000, yet they are in the same classification, why, school district size.

[Oklahawg]

Tulsa Union provided Terrell Williams (LB, booted before the last RRS game his senior year) and, earlier, Zach Snider (transferred out to TU so he could be close to a dying father, Gary, a Blankenship assistant at Union and earlier an assistant at OSU).

Jones was Tulsa Washington, and is the uncle of Keon Hatcher (not many know this). Jones was very instrumental in helping Hatcher feel good about UA.

Recruiting happens in HS sports. A lot. Easier for it to be from public schools to private schools (go look up the long-running HV saga over Walt Williams/Pinnacle Preps and Shiloh Christian), but it does work otherwise. Around here, it happens from outlying smaller districts to the large, booming, suburban schools.

A prime example: Dylan Bundy left small-ish 3A Sperry (after being named Gatorade POY as a sophomore) for Owasso HS.  Bundy was the #4 MLB pick after his senior year at Owasso (three-time POY in OK, unheard of) and destined for big things. Arm issues related to overuse have relegated him to middle relief this year.

KeJuan Jones lived in the Tulsa Hale school district. Jenks found his mom a job that included complimentary housing in the Jenks district so Jones could transfer there for his last couple of years. Jones played at OU and later for Green Bay.

Coweta (mid-size 5A) went from 2-8 to a semi-finalist the year that Ron Lancaster (Trimble's predecessor at Jenks) went to Broken Arrow and instituted "get tough", "old school" policies on summer workouts. Half of the returning starters missing workouts or were late and Lancaster booted them, and they magically transferred to Coweta.

Transfers happen.

Blankenship inherited the reins at TU from Todd Graham who job-hopped to Pitt and then out west. He had been a position coach at TU for several years. He had two great seasons to start at TU but suffered a similar fate as Dave Rader, a decade earlier - he was the local guy who was nice, if not revered. He struggled making business decisions with both players and coaches. Players needed the boot or coaches needing the ax didn't always meet that fate.

He said he wanted to "recruit on a tank of gas" and did well. He struggled to fend off P5 conference teams which tells me that he was not an ace closer.

He is a class act and will do nothing to slow down the D1 pipeline leaving FHS.

[Oklahawg]

By the way, the only better hire they might have made from the Region might have been Allen Trimble from Jenks HS who is apparently having some issues with the Jenks Administration, but they will probably do everything that they can to retain him.

Bill Blankenship will prove to be a very good hire for Fayetteville HS.

Rumor I heard was that Trimble announced his retirement from Jenks, since reneged, because he was being courted by FHS. He used the opening to fix his issues at Jenks, and they have made up and appear poised for another long run of championship game appearances.

[Porked Tongue]

Trimble apparently doesn't want any other duties besides coaching and is clashing with Jenks administration over that issue.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Tulsa Union provided Terrell Williams (LB, booted before the last RRS game his senior year) and, earlier, Zach Snider (transferred out to TU so he could be close to a dying father, Gary, a Blankenship assistant at Union and earlier an assistant at OSU).

Jones was Tulsa Washington, and is the uncle of Keon Hatcher (not many know this). Jones was very instrumental in helping Hatcher feel good about UA.

Recruiting happens in HS sports. A lot. Easier for it to be from public schools to private schools (go look up the long-running HV saga over Walt Williams/Pinnacle Preps and Shiloh Christian), but it does work otherwise. Around here, it happens from outlying smaller districts to the large, booming, suburban schools.

A prime example: Dylan Bundy left small-ish 3A Sperry (after being named Gatorade POY as a sophomore) for Owasso HS.  Bundy was the #4 MLB pick after his senior year at Owasso (three-time POY in OK, unheard of) and destined for big things. Arm issues related to overuse have relegated him to middle relief this year.

KeJuan Jones lived in the Tulsa Hale school district. Jenks found his mom a job that included complimentary housing in the Jenks district so Jones could transfer there for his last couple of years. Jones played at OU and later for Green Bay.

Coweta (mid-size 5A) went from 2-8 to a semi-finalist the year that Ron Lancaster (Trimble's predecessor at Jenks) went to Broken Arrow and instituted "get tough", "old school" policies on summer workouts. Half of the returning starters missing workouts or were late and Lancaster booted them, and they magically transferred to Coweta.

Transfers happen.

Blankenship inherited the reins at TU from Todd Graham who job-hopped to Pitt and then out west. He had been a position coach at TU for several years. He had two great seasons to start at TU but suffered a similar fate as Dave Rader, a decade earlier - he was the local guy who was nice, if not revered. He struggled making business decisions with both players and coaches. Players needed the boot or coaches needing the ax didn't always meet that fate.

He said he wanted to "recruit on a tank of gas" and did well. He struggled to fend off P5 conference teams which tells me that he was not an ace closer.

He is a class act and will do nothing to slow down the D1 pipeline leaving FHS.

I always thought he was far better at the HS level than at the college level.

On another note, Northeastern State (D-II at Tahlequah, OK) had a chance to hire Trimble two years ago and the NSU AD vetoed the move, choosing to go the less expensive route of hiring a former OC as HC who had never been a HC at any level previously. NSU blew it. Trimble would have rebuilt their program to previous levels of success. Penny smart and dollar dumb.

Back to Fayetteville HS, they will love Bill and he will do an outstanding job for them. Before it is over he will be bringing in some nationally top ranked teams from other states to play FHS. Promotion of the program. They will love this guy.

[snoblind]

Jonesboro has 70,000 and Greenwood has 9000, yet they are in the same classification, why, school district size.

Incorporating all that farmland decades ago has come in handy for Greenwood now that they are Fort Smith subdivisions.

[thebignasty]

Odd that so many are arguing about data that is easily researched.

And not talking about Blankenship.

Would be a lot more talk about the hire if it was a poor hire.  Fayetteville fans aren't very zealous, and I doubt those that dislike Fayetteville want to praise the hire,  which is all you can really do. It's an home run.

[ricepig]

Would be a lot more talk about the hire if it was a poor hire.  Fayetteville fans aren't very zealous, and I doubt those that dislike Fayetteville want to praise the hire,  which is all you can really do. It's an home run.

Yep, and it's high school sports, which most don't pay attention too, and of course, it's HV where we delve into the more important aspect associated with it, lol.

[Inhogswetrust]

Jonesboro has 70,000 and Greenwood has 9000, yet they are in the same classification, why, school district size.

One of the dumbest things for school districts in Arkansas is all the separate ones in Jonesboro. People live in one part of town or another not for a different school but for a whole different school district.

[GuvHog]

One of the dumbest things for school districts in Arkansas is all the separate ones in Jonesboro. People live in one part of town or another not for a different school but for a whole different school district.

That shows how much that era is growing.

1 6A school (Jonesboro)
2 5A schools (Nettleton, Valley View)
1 4A school (Brookland) Just outside of the City limits
1 3A school? (Westside) Just outside of the City Limits

[majestic]

For students on a daily basis?

Yes, parking is BS. I wish they would have taken the money from the U of A and built a new facility with more room. 

[Inhogswetrust]

That shows how much that era is growing.

1 6A school (Jonesboro)
2 5A schools (Nettleton, Valley View)
1 4A school (Brookland) Just outside of the City limits
1 3A school? (Westside) Just outside of the City Limits

Sure that area is growing. That's one reason why I work up there some. It is the only area in east Arkansas that is growing at a decent rate. But those separate districts go way back to other era's (sorry I couldn't resist). You can literally live across the street and be in a separate school district not simply a different school attendance assignment.

[GuvHog]

Sure that area is growing. That's one reason why I work up there some. It is the only area in east Arkansas that is growing at a decent rate. But those separate districts go way back to other era's (sorry I couldn't resist). You can literally live across the street and be in a separate school district not simply a different school attendance assignment.

Agreed. My family is originally from that area (we were all born in NEA) so I know what you mean.

[ricepig]

That shows how much that era is growing.

1 6A school (Jonesboro)
2 5A schools (Nettleton, Valley View)
1 4A school (Brookland) Just outside of the City limits
1 3A school? (Westside) Just outside of the City Limits

Both Brookland and Westside(4A) have property inside the city limits. There's also a 1A, Ridgefield, a private school in the city. I go back and forth on one countywide district with different schools, all one has to do is look at LRSD and Memphis/Shelby County for big screw ups.

[Inhogswetrust]

Both Brookland and Westside(4A) have property inside the city limits. There's also a 1A, Ridgefield, a private school in the city. I go back and forth on one countywide district with different schools, all one has to do is look at LRSD and Memphis/Shelby County for big screw ups.

IIRC Nettleton and Valley View also have "property" inside Jonesboro city limits but I could be wrong. Huge difference in metro population size in Pulaski and Shelby counties. Don't forget there are still more than one school district in those counties as well. Also as Memphis annexed areas in the past some Shelby County schools were absorbed into Memphis city schools. That is until Memphis City schools gave up their chapter w=and it was forced by state law to be absorbed by Shelby county schools. THAT might have been the straw that broke the camels backs to speak for the suburbs finally having enough political pull to get the state law changed to where they could vote on each having their own separate school systems. So know there is Shelby County school for unincorporated areas and the city of Memphis and all the suburbs each have their own separate schools for that town. Ironically over time in the future there might not be any unincorporated areas in Shelby county and the Shelby county school district will in effect become Memphis City schools again. Ease of annexation in TN is one reason in the past that a lot of political battles have been fought in the state and particularly Shelby county.

[ricepig]

IIRC Nettleton and Valley View also have "property" inside Jonesboro city limits but i could be wrong. Huge difference in metro population size in Pulaski and Shelby counties. Don't forget there are still more than one school district in those counties as well.

Yep, Nettleton is all inside the limits, and VV's districts population is. Jonesboro city limits is something like 80sq miles, lots of area. LR's is something around 116sq miles.

[RD]

I'm not sure if I remember a better hire in Arkansas High school for as long as I can remember.

Rick Jones hasn't done bad in Greenwood.

[Inhogswetrust]

Rick Jones hasn't done bad in Greenwood.

Maybe so but I wasn't as familiar with him prior as much as Blankenship.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Sure that area is growing. That's one reason why I work up there some. It is the only area in east Arkansas that is growing at a decent rate. But those separate districts go way back to other era's (sorry I couldn't resist). You can literally live across the street and be in a separate school district not simply a different school attendance assignment.

that was set up by racists to keep the black kids in a darn school and away from their good lil whities. Can't believe it hasn't been fixed.

IMO, while we don't necessarily have to apologize for our ancestors, we DO have a responsibility to acknowledge and clean up their messes.

[GuvHog]

Both Brookland and Westside(4A) have property inside the city limits. There's also a 1A, Ridgefield, a private school in the city. I go back and forth on one countywide district with different schools, all one has to do is look at LRSD and Memphis/Shelby County for big screw ups.

I know part of Brookland and Westside school Disticts are in the Jonesboro city limits but aren't their actual school campuses located outside of the Jonesboro City limits??

[Inhogswetrust]

I know part of Brookland and Westside school Disticts are in the Jonesboro city limits but aren't their actual school campuses located outside of the Jonesboro City limits??

I believe Brookland is a separate incorporated town and their district might have included unincorporated areas eventually annexed by Jonesboro instead of them. I don't believe or remember if Westside ever was or is a separate town. I know that when Nettleton was annexed that one of the agreements was they could keep their own school district.

[GuvHog]

I believe Brookland is a separate incorporated town and their district might have included unincorporated areas eventually annexed by Jonesboro instead of them. I don't believe or remember if Westside ever was or is a separate town. I know that when Nettleton was annexed that one of the agreements was they could keep their own school district.

Westside is located in Herman which obviously is just west of Jonesboro.

[Inhogswetrust]

Westside is located in Herman which obviously is just west of Jonesboro.

I know where it is. Just didn't know if it had ever been a separate town.

[Pig in the Pokey]

I can't believe this thread made it three pages without being derailed by ..... trains.

[GuvHog]

I know where it is. Just didn't know if it had ever been a separate town.

It's an unincorporated community.

[Inhogswetrust]

It's an unincorporated community.

That I know. The key words in my post were "had ever been" which means at any point in time which means in the past. 

[ricepig]

that was set up by racists to keep the black kids in a darn school and away from their good lil whities. Can't believe it hasn't been fixed.

IMO, while we don't necessarily have to apologize for our ancestors, we DO have a responsibility to acknowledge and clean up their messes.

You have no idea what you are talking about, but that's nothing new, lol.

[Inhogswetrust]

that was set up by racists to keep the black kids in a darn school and away from their good lil whities. Can't believe it hasn't been fixed.

IMO, while we don't necessarily have to apologize for our ancestors, we DO have a responsibility to acknowledge and clean up their messes.

Worse case of that I ever saw was ElDorado and Parkers Chapel. All of the one's around Jonesboro were not set up for that reason except maybe one of them for growth.

[ricepig]

I know where it is. Just didn't know if it had ever been a separate town.

Nope, just a school district. It's Westside Consolidated School District, made up of Bono, Egypt, and probably some other one, haha.

[GuvHog]

That I know. The key words in my post were "had ever been" which means at any point in time which means in the past. 

I understand. Herman has always been separate from Jonesboro.

[ricepig]

I believe Brookland is a separate incorporated town and their district might have included unincorporated areas eventually annexed by Jonesboro instead of them. I don't believe or remember if Westside ever was or is a separate town. I know that when Nettleton was annexed that one of the agreements was they could keep their own school district.

Yep, Brookland is benefiting from the growth of Jonesboro to the north. Parts of Sage Meadows is in Brookland's district, and Terra Hills and several other new developments down highway 351.

[GuvHog]

Yep, Brookland is benefiting from the growth of Jonesboro to the north. Parts of Sage Meadows is in Brookland's district, and Terra Hills and several other new developments down highway 351.

Yep, I know it well. A couple of my cousins graduated from there. One of them was killed at a railroad crossing just north of Farrville on Thanksgiving day of 1972.

[Pig in the Pokey]

You have no idea what you are talking about, but that's nothing new, lol.

sure, buddy.

[ricepig]

sure, buddy.

I'm speaking of the district's we're talking about in this thread, those I know about, other districts, I won't comment.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I can't believe this thread made it three pages without being derailed by ..... trains.

Or claims of racism, which needs to stop. Then is not now. Let's please get back on the topic of the hire at FHS before this thread ends up getting locked.

[LZH]

Hasn't FHS been winning a lot of football games recently? Why did Patton leave, and why in the world did he end up at a place like Bauxite? Fayetteville >>>> Bauxite.

[ricepig]

Hasn't FHS been winning a lot of football games recently? Why did Patton leave, and why in the world did he end up at a place like Bauxite? Fayetteville >>>> Bauxite.

Did you seriously miss the threads moved to V+R?

[LZH]

Did you seriously miss the threads moved to V+R?

Apparently. This morning was the first time I even clicked on this thread at all.

Add: Oh. Oooh. Ruh-roh Coach.....

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Apparently. This morning was the first time I even clicked on this thread at all.

Add: Oh. Oooh. Ruh-roh Coach.....

On the other hand, the guy that they hired (Bill Blankenship) is far better all the way around, than the guy that they fired. A bad situation provided FHS with an unexpected upgrade in coaching.

[LZH]

On the other hand, the guy that they hired (Bill Blankenship) is far better all the way around, than the guy that they fired. A bad situation provided FHS with an unexpected upgrade in coaching.

Yeah, that's right. Can't argue with the man's record.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Yeah, that's right. Can't argue with the man's record.

On top of that, he is a real "character...walk the straight line" kind of guy who the Administration, parents and players will love. He built the Tulsa Union program into something really special on a national level, not just in the state. And, while he is a program developer, he also knows how to be a program promoter. It won't be very long before he is probably trying to schedule marquee games with large national high school powers to come into Fayetteville to play. My guess is, he will get a lot of support from Bielema and Arkansas.

If I sound like I am an advocate of Bill Blankenship, it is because I am. I think he's a much better high school program coach than college coach and he is a very good man. Big time win for FHS and the Hogs.