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🐎 UPDATE: Overton hires current DC Justin Arnold as new AD


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10 hours ago, Strike51 said:

Arnold had the DC title but Strickland was calling the defense. 

Ah, gotcha...   well, whoever Overton's new guy is, the defense better be priority from day 1. 

Giving up 47.5 points per game won't cut it. Not even by Arkansas standards. 

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1 hour ago, playactionpass39 said:

Hearing the DC is the guy

Haven't heard anything myself, then again I wouldn't tell y'all even if I had.  😜  

But I can see the argument for this...  one could say it was inevitable to happen at some point.   

Arnold in that role allows for a certain level of continuity, and is a very safe long-term investment. If he manages to build a winner, it's gonna take serious dollars to woo him away. Dude is very entrenched in the community, and isn't gonna blow town just because a bigger school happens to show an interest. He's got a good head on his shoulders and an old school work ethic. Dude has put in his time and washed plenty of uniforms. I think he'd do a great job. 

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7 minutes ago, AKA said:

Haven't heard anything myself, then again I wouldn't tell y'all even if I had.  😜  

But I can see the argument for this...  one could say it was inevitable to happen at some point.   

Arnold in that role allows for a certain level of continuity, and is a very safe long-term investment. If he manages to build a winner, it's gonna take serious dollars to woo him away. Dude is very entrenched in the community, and isn't gonna blow town just because a bigger school happens to show an interest. He's got a good head on his shoulders and an old school work ethic. Dude has put in his time and washed plenty of uniforms. I think he'd do a great job. 

Safest and smartest move for Overton, a long term solution.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Quote

Overton ISD Chooses New Athletic Director/Head Football Coach

The board of trustees of the Overton Independent School District unanimously voted to name Justin Arnold as the new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach/Dean of Students. Arnold will replace Richard Strickland who left the district to become Defensive Coordinator at Nashville High School in Arkansas.

Arnold is a 2006 graduate of Overton High School and attended Western Texas College on a track scholarship. While at WTC he earned Academic All American honors and was the captain of the track team. Arnold received his Bachelor of Science degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2010.

Coach Arnold began his coaching career at Overton ISD in 2010, serving as special teams coordinator and coaching the secondary and receivers. He also assisted in basketball and track. Arnold continued his duties in football and basketball in 2011 but was named head track coach for the spring of 2012. The Mustangs had 3 relays qualify for regionals and individuals qualified for state in the 100 meters, 400 meters, shot put and discus. He became the head basketball coach for the Mustangs in the 2012-2013 school year, coached football, and again lead the track team to success with the relays returning to regional competition and state qualifiers coming in the triple jump, long jump, shot put, and discus. The 2013-2014 season saw him continuing with his football and basketball duties and getting the mile relay to regional and state qualifiers in the 100 meter hurdles and 800 meter run.

Arnold left Overton for one year to coach at Beckville and returned in 2015-2016 to be the Mustangs Head Basketball coach as well as assisting in football and track. Arnold led the Mustangs to the basketball playoffs in 2016-2017 and was the defensive coordinator on the football staff. Last year, he was the defensive coordinator and took over the softball program and led the Lady Mustangs to a 19-6 record, going 3 rounds deep in the playoffs.

Coach Arnold and his wife Lorin, also an OHS graduate, have one child.

Overton ISD Superintendent Stephen DuBose commented on the hire, “We had 55 applicants and many of them were well known and talented coaches, but the opportunity to hire such a high-quality young coach who loves Overton and wants to be here for the long run was simply too good to pass up. Coach Arnold is an outstanding leader and his teams have always exceeded expectations. We think we have made a decision that will help Overton gain stability in the athletic program while providing our students an outstanding role model.”

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  • Mr. P changed the title to Overton hires current DC Justin Arnold as new AD
11 hours ago, Ronster23 said:
Overton ISD chooses new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach

The board of trustees of the Overton Independent School District unanimously voted to name Justin Arnold as the new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach/Dean of Students. Arnold will replace Richard Strickland who left the district to become Defensive Coordinator at Nashville High School in Arkansas.

This is a great situation for Overton. Granted, it's not a "sexy" big name hire, but it's a very clear indication of what the Overton ISD leadership wants in its athletic program: commitment and stability

On 5/21/2018 at 10:59 AM, AKA said:

But I can see the argument for this...  one could say it was inevitable to happen at some point.   

Arnold in that role allows for a certain level of continuity, and is a very safe long-term investment. If he manages to build a winner, it's gonna take serious dollars to woo him away. Dude is very entrenched in the community, and isn't gonna blow town just because a bigger school happens to show an interest. He's got a good head on his shoulders and an old school work ethic. Dude has put in his time and washed plenty of uniforms. I think he'd do a great job. 

Quoting this to emphasize my point, Arnold gives them a hometown guy who lives there and has strong community roots, and is not gonna bail just because some 3A-4A school flashes dollar signs. 

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  • Mr. P changed the title to 🐎 UPDATE: Overton hires current DC Justin Arnold as new AD
2 hours ago, HJR7 said:

So what all does Overton have coming back? 

Only ones I know about are a couple senior two-way starters: RB/LB Rogers and ATH/LB Osburn, senior lineman Worley, junior lineman Roberts, sophomore QB/DB Marshall, sophomore TE/LB Dike.

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20 hours ago, SmokyBurgess said:

I really like this move. Overton guy, bleeds Overton blood (if there's such a thing). Did great things with the softball team that probably didn't have any business being in the 3rd round. But he got them there. Great fit. 

Here's the reality of hiring the hometown guy. Everyone gets excited because he will be around for 8-10 years and won't jump at the first big job that comes his way, but when he goes 3-7 and 2-8 his first two seasons, that all goes out the window. The same people who want his loyalty for 8-10 years will run him out of town quicker than you can flip a light switch.

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16 minutes ago, 2wedge said:

Here's the reality of hiring the hometown guy. Everyone gets excited because he will be around for 8-10 years and won't jump at the first big job that comes his way, but when he goes 3-7 and 2-8 his first two seasons, that all goes out the window. The same people who want his loyalty for 8-10 years will run him out of town quicker than you can flip a light switch.

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but there are a few mitigating factors here...   

First: Overton's been averaging 2-8/3-7 seasons for, like, the last 20 years. Other than a couple pretty decent years (8-3 in 2016, 7-4 in 2012, 9-2 in 2005), Overton has been a sub .500 program overall. So it's not like the fanbase has been spoiled by success. 

Second: I'm not sure you can appreciate how debilitating it's been for the program to have to find a new AD every couple years. Since 2000 the longest tenure for a coach at Overton has been 4 years. That takes a toll. 

Third: Overton people are fiercely devoted to their own. Arnold is Overton Mustang cradle to the grave. His family goes back a long ways in that town. The only family more dyed-in-the-wool kelly green is probably his in-laws. So he's going to have support that perhaps runs deeper than some of his predecessors. 

Of course, that's not to say that Arnold won't feel pressure to deliver the Ws. Hey, that's part of the job description. But he's an intensely competitive guy, in addition to being a former Mustang.

No one can put more pressure on him than he will put on himself. 

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