Arkansas high school coaching icon Daryl Patton is coming back to Saline County.
In a special Bauxite School Board meeting Thursday night, Patton was announced as the new head coach of the Miners.
“We are excited and thrilled,” said Josh Harrison, Bauxite athletic director. “If you threw them all out there on the table and said ‘who would be your top draft pick?’ it would definitely be Coach Patton.
“Just for the things he has done building programs. Bauxite has a storied tradition. It’s not like we have been a bottom-dweller for the length of the program. We have a strong tradition. But that was built in a 1A/2A level and we made the jump to 4A so quickly, we didn’t get to build much for 7-4A.”
Patton mirrored Harrison’s excitement Friday morning.
“I am very excited and tickled to be here,” Patton said. “They gave me a chance to lead the program. A tradition-rich program. Looking back over a 20- or 30-year period, there was nobody better than Bauxite. They were always in the playoffs and posting double-digit wins.
“I am from the (area) and the guys I used to play in the summer were Bauxite Miners. I spent a lot of time as a kid, going to Bauxite Miners football games before I got into Bryant.”
Patton also took to Twitter, thanking the school.
“Thank you to Miner Nation for giving me opportunity to come back home to Saline County. Ready to Restore that Tradition!! TNT!!! Go Miners!”
Patton, a Bryant High School graduate and former Hornet head coach, resigned at Fayetteville on May 12 after leading the Purple Dogs program since 2003.
Patton coached Bryant from 1998 to 2002, combining for an overall record of 34-20, including a 10-0 1999 season.
See today's Saline Courier for a full story.