Chris Gunter headed to Beebe

[beebefootballfan]

School board just approved the hire. Excited to have him leading the Badgers.

[Pat Swilling]

sounds like a good hire.

[incogneto]

I know he is the OC of Alma.  How long had he been the OC there and where else had he been an OC or head coach?

[beebefootballfan]

He GA'd for Todd Graham at Tulsa when Mike Norvell and Chad Morris were there, then he went to GCT as OC before moving on to Alma in the same capacity.  He has been at Alma for 5 years I would guess.

Either way, thankfully the days of the Dead T are over at Beebe. 

A lot of people wanted Drake and will complain that they didn't hire him but they should get on board with this hire.  I wanted Drake, but I know Beebe is in good hands with Chris, just like they would have been with Drake.  Both are high character guys and the difference will be like night and day around the program. 

[i40traveler]

Either way, thankfully the days of the Dead T are over at Beebe. 

A lot of schools think this way until the product on the field isn't what you think it will be in a spread

[OB11]

A lot of schools think this way until the product on the field isn't what you think it will be in a spread

IMO...if you're not good in the Wing T/Dead T/I Formation/etc, you are not going to be very good in the spread either. At least not right away. Hope they give him time to install his system. May take a few years to have it running efficiently.

[AT]

You guys have an offensive genius. He'll do well if given the support. Congratulations Beebe.

He's been at Alma since 2012, I believe. It was Coach Dilbeck's last year.

A few things about him:

Coach Lock has some years put his best players on D and Coach Gunter worked with what he had to still have some high powered offenses.

Alma scoring 30 a game in 5A play was usually the norm and honestly Gunter and Lock liked to ground it out if they had a lead to kill time.

Some years Coach Lock put some of his best playmakers on offense and defense and those years were when our offenses were extraordinary. 2017 and 2016 come to mind.

Even in the 6A years, Coach Gunter did well with what he had.

He can read a defense and come up with a play to expose that particular defense on the field about as well as any coach can.

Good luck to Chris.

[AT]

Also Coach Gunter isn't "Spread". He's multiple packages. He has ran a game where he didn't run out of the same formation twice. He will work with what he has.

[Da Truff]

You guys have an offensive genius. He'll do well if given the support. Congratulations Beebe.

He's been at Alma since 2012, I believe. It was Coach Dilbeck's last year.

A few things about him:

Coach Lock has some years put his best players on D and Coach Gunter worked with what he had to still have some high powered offenses.

Alma scoring 30 a game in 5A play was usually the norm and honestly Gunter and Lock liked to ground it out if they had a lead to kill time.

Some years Coach Lock put some of his best playmakers on offense and defense and those years were when our offenses were extraordinary. 2017 and 2016 come to mind.

Even in the 6A years, Coach Gunter did well with what he had.

He can read a defense and come up with a play to expose that particular defense on the field about as well as any coach can.

Good luck to Chris.

Sounds like Beebe got em a good one.

[beebefootballfan]

Chris has all the support he will ever need and is well connected in Beebe.  Like Alma said, don't expect the spread, go watch their game film from this year on Youtube.  He mixes it up. 

I don't expect a magic change overnight by any means, but I am excited to have a coach who will have options depending on the situation he is in and his team will at least have some ability to execute those options.  Beebe hasn't had a decent passing attack in a decade and its cost them dearly.  I don't expect air raid but being able to throw when you need to is a big help.

I also hope to get some quality play on the defensive side of the ball.  I think that is what ended up being Shannon's Achilles heel.  Those early years he fielded some teams that had a good enough defense to work with a slow grinding offense, but over the last few years we haven't had been able to do that.  Look at any game over the last 5 years.  If we gave up 21 pts or more its was almost always a L.   The only exception was 2014 when there was a potent enough offense to make up for it and we won a bunch of 49-48 type shootouts. 

[Jimbo Morphis]

IMO...if you're not good in the Wing T/Dead T/I Formation/etc, you are not going to be very good in the spread either. At least not right away. Hope they give him time to install his system. May take a few years to have it running efficiently.

I agree but sometimes more kids will play for a spread coach.

[OB11]

I agree but sometimes more kids will play for a spread coach.

Very true. Wish it wasn't that way. I enjoy watching a good ground and pound team just as much as a team that spreads it out when it is run effectively. What bothers me is when a team tries to run the ground and pound offenses and can't execute.

[Jimbo Morphis]

Very true. Wish it wasn't that way. I enjoy watching a good ground and pound team just as much as a team that spreads it out when it is run effectively. What bothers me is when a team tries to run the ground and pound offenses and can't execute.

I like winning

[purpleswag]

I like winning

Are you saying the dead t can't win?

[softballfan22]

Gotta have the strength for dead t - or speed for spread. Does Beebe have it? Also, their division of football at the moment doesn't matter. It's PA, LRC and everyone else hoping for a 3-4 spot.

[Former, Coach Jacobs]

I worked with him at Greene County Tech back 5 or so years ago. He knows his stuff and the kids loved him. Great guy too. Good hire for the Badgers.

[nomorewhining]

Are you saying the dead t can't win?
[/quote

He is saying it doesn't matter what offense you run....run what helps you win.

[baseball_fan1]

Any ideas on new alma oc?

[TrenchHogs]

Nothing wrong with being a grind it out offense. Look at Gosnell in 4A up until 2012 under Brian Sims who is now at Greenwood. Double wing, toss the ball left or right behind the tackle and pull the backside guard and tackle. Heck we only had 10 plays in our playbook but we averaged over 48 points a game and were usually the top 1-2 team in the conference.
Now, I know the 5A overall but especially the 5A central is a whole different animal. I do know Beebe has around 15 different kids that won't play sports due to to the system that has been in place. Most of these 15 are big, tall, athletic kids who could drastically change the look of the Badger program. I hope Coach Gunter can get these boys out of the hallways and onto the field!

[purpleswag]

Nothing wrong with being a grind it out offense. Look at Gosnell in 4A up until 2012 under Brian Sims who is now at Greenwood. Double wing, toss the ball left or right behind the tackle and pull the backside guard and tackle. Heck we only had 10 plays in our playbook but we averaged over 48 points a game and were usually the top 1-2 team in the conference.
Now, I know the 5A overall but especially the 5A central is a whole different animal. I do know Beebe has around 15 different kids that won't play sports due to to the system that has been in place. Most of these 15 are big, tall, athletic kids who could drastically change the look of the Badger program. I hope Coach Gunter can get these boys out of the hallways and onto the field!

If they wouldn't play because of a system its because they didn't want to play and they were using it as an excuse.
If you want to play football you will play in any system.

[OB11]

If they wouldn't play because of a system its because they didn't want to play and they were using it as an excuse.
If you want to play football you will play in any system.

I tend to agree with this. Never understood the reasoning behind not playing because of the system. Chances are, the same 4 guys that will touch the ball in one system, are the same ones that will touch it in another.

And if a receiver thinks because since you're running the spread that you don't have to block, guess again. Getting blocks from your receivers is obviously much more important in the spread than in an offense based between the tackles. More often than not, if a receiver can't block, they don't see the field in the spread. 

[gcsdad]

I do know Beebe has around 15 different kids that won't play sports due to to the system that has been in place. Most of these 15 are big, tall, athletic kids who could drastically change the look of the Badger program. I hope Coach Gunter can get these boys out of the hallways and onto the field!

There's a chance you're clueless if you think theres 15. Maybe one or two but you obviously don't know Beebe very well.

[Pick_DA_EAGLES]

Nothing wrong with being a grind it out offense. Look at Gosnell in 4A up until 2012 under Brian Sims who is now at Greenwood. Double wing, toss the ball left or right behind the tackle and pull the backside guard and tackle. Heck we only had 10 plays in our playbook but we averaged over 48 points a game and were usually the top 1-2 team in the conference.
Now, I know the 5A overall but especially the 5A central is a whole different animal. I do know Beebe has around 15 different kids that won't play sports due to to the system that has been in place. Most of these 15 are big, tall, athletic kids who could drastically change the look of the Badger program. I hope Coach Gunter can get these boys out of the hallways and onto the field!

Do those 15 not play basketball either because they don't run and gun?

[TrenchHogs]

There's a chance you're clueless if you think theres 15. Maybe one or two but you obviously don't know Beebe very well.

I see them every day.... Beebe has plenty of big kids that don't play. The reason? Who knows.

[TrenchHogs]

Do those 15 not play basketball either because they don't run and gun?

Some have chosen other things like ROTC and band.... some don't play sports at all.... who really knows why they won't play. I agree with the post earlier that its just an excuse. Some have said they didn't like Shannon, others they wanted to open the field up and throw the ball.

[sevenof400]

I see them every day.... Beebe has plenty of big kids that don't play. The reason? Who knows.

This phenomena is not exclusive to Beebe.

[TrenchHogs]

I work in the district.....

[Reyno]

Who were the finalists for the job?

[sevenof400]

I work in the district.....

While I suspect you were replying to GCSDad, just to be clear TrenchHogs, my statement was meant more as an overall observation.  Many schools are experiencing a declining interest in sports these days and while we may never know the exact reason(s) causing this, one factor that certainly contributes to this is the all too common attitude found in far too many kids these days. 
"If something is not exactly the way I want it, and it won't change for me then I'll spend my time elsewhere" mentality is producing more kids for which work is a foreign concept. 

Whether it is Beebe or Bauxite, Benton or Bentonville I'm sure every school has students who choose not to play as a result of thinking like this.

[TrenchHogs]

While I suspect you were replying to GCSDad, just to be clear TrenchHogs, my statement was meant more as an overall observation.  Many schools are experiencing a declining interest in sports these days and while we may never know the exact reason(s) causing this, one factor that certainly contributes to this is the all too common attitude found in far too many kids these days. 
"If something is not exactly the way I want it, and it won't change for me then I'll spend my time elsewhere" mentality is producing more kids for which work is a foreign concept. 

Whether it is Beebe or Bauxite, Benton or Bentonville I'm sure every school has students who choose not to play as a result of thinking like this.

I agree with that. Very well said. That tends to be very accurate pertaining to Beebe right now....

[baseball_fan1]

Any ideas as to who will take the OC duties at Alma with his departure?

[InYoGrill]

Congrats to BB! I look forward to them fielding very competitive teams year in and year out. Should make the rivalries with GB and V even more exciting.

[CapnObvious]

Charleston HC Greg Kendrick will be headed to Alma to take over as the OC ...

[AT]

The above is not just speculation. But not completely official. All but it, though

[OB11]

Charleston HC Greg Kendrick will be headed to Alma to take over as the OC ...

How long has he been at Charleston?

[AT]

He's been at Charleston as an OC before head coach for awhile under Coach Loughridge. He was head coach after Coach Lock headed to Alma, which was the 2013 football season.

[Pat Swilling]

Any Alma assistant joining Gunter?

[sevenof400]

Any Alma assistant joining Gunter?

They have to dilly with Vilonia first....no one on that pipeline.....yet.     

[Airedale90]

The worst thing about the new OC in Alma was that it didn't happen last year.  The former OC cost the team several games.  Glad to have a good coach in Alma leading the offense.

[AT]

The worst thing about the new OC in Alma was that it didn't happen last year.  The former OC cost the team several games.  Glad to have a good coach in Alma leading the offense.

Sorry to say, but this is just ignorant. He won us a lot more games with his play calling than he ever lost.

[Airedale90]

Just looking at all the wasted talent last few years.  It's tough to be honest but he wasn't a very good people person and there are no kids crying.  He had a good offensive mind but lost the respect of players and coaches by how he treated them.  You my friend may be the ignorant one. 

[AT]

Just looking at all the wasted talent last few years.  It's tough to be honest but he wasn't a very good people person and there are no kids crying.  He had a good offensive mind but lost the respect of players and coaches by how he treated them.  You my friend may be the ignorant one.

The results he produced on the offensive end were unmatched in the history of Alma. The numbers and results are there. Offense won many games. I'm not sure what you mean by "wasted talent". How did he waste it? You seem to have an agenda.

[sevenof400]

Just looking at all the wasted talent last few years.  It's tough to be honest but he wasn't a very good people person and there are no kids crying.  He had a good offensive mind but lost the respect of players and coaches by how he treated them.  You my friend may be the ignorant one.

I'm just going to suggest something here - do with this advice what you will.

Check out the attached image.

While we all can appreciate a good give and take around here, you might want to consider the kind of entrance you made is going to impress people in some not-so desired ways.  State your facts, give your reasons - there is seldom ever 100% agreement around here on anything, but the kind of unsubstantiated stuff you're throwing around here is akin to piddling on the neighbors lawn. 

[PA Dad]

I'm just going to suggest something here - do with this advice what you will.

Check out the attached image.

While we all can appreciate a good give and take around here, you might want to consider the kind of entrance you made is going to impress people in some not-so desired ways.  State your facts, give your reasons - there is seldom ever 100% agreement around here on anything, but the kind of unsubstantiated stuff you're throwing around here is akin to piddling on the neighbors lawn.

Seven, you do have a way with words.  Touché.

[Airedale90]

It's not unsubstantiated when you talk with student athletes and their families. When you work with them and live in the community and know what's going on it's not unsubstantiated at all.  Maybe you should get out and find out the information of what's going on instead of counting how many posts I've made.  I may not make Many posts but those I have made are true.  Couple of facts you asked for Alma has won 12 games in two years with lots of records on offense but not too many wins.  So while there were great offensive numbers last finals appearance was 20 years ago. 

[AT]

But Chris Gunter was in charge of the offense.

[we_hate_the_band]

But Chris Gunter was in charge of the offense.

Shoulda scored more points.

[sevenof400]

It's not unsubstantiated when you talk with student athletes and their families. When you work with them and live in the community and know what's going on it's not unsubstantiated at all.  Maybe you should get out and find out the information of what's going on instead of counting how many posts I've made.  I may not make Many posts but those I have made are true.  Couple of facts you asked for Alma has won 12 games in two years with lots of records on offense but not too many wins.  So while there were great offensive numbers last finals appearance was 20 years ago.

With your 'facts' still undisclosed, we have no way of verifying them to determine 'truth or bias'.  And with a scant posting history, we have very little else to judge your posts on.  Is post count the only thing that matters - certainly not - but as a newcomer to these parts, assertions in the form you have offered here do not help your position.

[incogneto]

With your 'facts' still undisclosed, we have no way of verifying them to determine 'truth or bias'.  And with a scant posting history, we have very little else to judge your posts on.  Is post count the only thing that matters - certainly not - but as a newcomer to these parts, assertions in the form you have offered here do not help your position.

I read three facts in his post.  So....now what?  Where are your facts? 

[sevenof400]

I read three facts in his post.  So....now what?  Where are your facts?

Show me the 'facts' in his post...

It's not unsubstantiated when you talk with student athletes and their families. When you work with them and live in the community and know what's going on it's not unsubstantiated at all. ..

Unsubstantiated.

Maybe you should get out and find out the information of what's going on instead of counting how many posts I've made.

Terribly helpful.

Couple of facts you asked for Alma has won 12 games in two years with lots of records on offense but not too many wins.  So while there were great offensive numbers last finals appearance was 20 years ago.

Nothing here on point with Airedale90's position.