Are they still looking for a coach?
Quote from: airitout on December 19, 2018, 12:11:08 pm
Are they still looking for a coach?
Yes.
Process winding down.
Tough job.
Quote from: HeberFan on December 21, 2018, 10:06:43 am
Tough job.
What's tough about it?
Here's a job thats been open for a long time...I wonder what's wrong with it that they haven't found someone by now. I wonder how many even applied for it or knew it was open. They haven't even named the DC as the "man"! I'm sure he's happy about all of this, too. There may not be alot of stability in the program, if it continues to take a long time to find someone.
Quote from: airitout on December 21, 2018, 10:29:47 am
What's tough about it?
Here's a job thats been open for a long time...I wonder what's wrong with it that they haven't found someone by now. I wonder how many even applied for it or knew it was open. They haven't even named the DC as the "man"! I'm sure he's happy about all of this, too. There may not be alot of stability in the program, if it continues to take a long time to find someone.
Low numbers appears to be a major obstacle for Riverview. Ive heard of other things that go on around there that make it difficult.
Quote from: airitout on December 21, 2018, 10:29:47 am
What's tough about it?
Here's a job thats been open for a long time...I wonder what's wrong with it that they haven't found someone by now. I wonder how many even applied for it or knew it was open. They haven't even named the DC as the "man"! I'm sure he's happy about all of this, too. There may not be alot of stability in the program, if it continues to take a long time to find someone.
Perhaps they took their time, identified right candidate. Perhaps they did not care what the FF crowd thought. Fairly certain the interim knew he wasn't going to get the job full-time. Riverview is going to be down for a couple of seasons with a dip in talent cycle, but opportunity is there to be competitive.
Coach will be named when school returns from break, perhaps earlier. Seems like they ran a good search.
Quote from: arkansasprepfootball on December 22, 2018, 02:21:23 pm
Perhaps they did not care what the FF crowd thought.
Riverview has a FF crowd?
Riverview consists of 3 longtime basketball communities (Judsonia, Kensett, Griffithville) with not a lot of football tradition. The high school is on the Searcy side of 67 but there is nothing Searcy about the district at all ( is football dysphoria even a thing?) Give them time and they'll settle in.
Anyone know the pay scale for a new HC in football and if he has to teach classes? Wonder if an assistant could be brought with him? TU for any information. Sometimes schools this small in student numbers can not come up with competitive salary for coaches, especially HC stipends. Good luck in a search. NE Arkansas is conveniently located for nice family living and convenient to many things.
Quote from: fbhound on January 01, 2019, 05:30:08 pm
Anyone know the pay scale for a new HC in football and if he has to teach classes? Wonder if an assistant could be brought with him? TU for any information. Sometimes schools this small in student numbers can not come up with competitive salary for coaches, especially HC stipends. Good luck in a search. NE Arkansas is conveniently located for nice family living and convenient to many things.
All schools are required to post this information on their school websites.
Great burger place in Bald Knob... close enough to drive. That has to be a draw for coaches.
Quote from: HeberFan on January 03, 2019, 02:20:13 pm
Great burger place in Bald Knob... close enough to drive. That has to be a draw for coaches.
I am still laughing! LOL But, you know, that might be true.... Must be a McDonalds? Anyway, it is close to Searcy, and for sure there are a lot of good eating places there.
Quote from: fbhound on January 03, 2019, 06:24:39 pm
I am still laughing! LOL But, you know, that might be true.... Must be a McDonalds? Anyway, it is close to Searcy, and for sure there are a lot of good eating places there.
It's called the Bald Knob Bulldog.... great, locally owned joint that's been around for decades.
Bulldog is a must stop and eat on a road trip
Did they hire last night?
Quote from: HeberFan on January 04, 2019, 08:33:56 am
It's called the Bald Knob Bulldog.... great, locally owned joint that's been around for decades.
Please tell me you have been to Who Dats as well....
Boy's I woke up this morning and had to start poppin tops on these Natty early. Just got the word from Eagle country that ole Houdini Widener has packed his bags and boarded the ship on course for Raiderland. I tell you what if you would have told me Houdini was leaving, I would have called you crazy and laughed all the way to my cousins house who I am dating right now. If anyone can fix the Raider Football program its Houdini Widener. Shoot, with him at the helm you may pillage every village this side of the rio grande. $5 says he rides into his first game as head raider on a pirate ship filled with gold and booty, dressed as black beard, and waving the ole jolly roger... What a sight! Heck, I may even start with some captain morgan instead of Nattys. All the memories we have from his time at my alma mater, Des Arc, from him wrestling that black panther, to being carried in on the wings of Eagles. Never know what lies ahead with Houdini, but you do know one thing...you'll be successful doing it. Cannot wait to see the success Riverview will see, I may show up to the game wearing a rather large mechanics jumpsuit with a name tag that says 'Brian' to show my support.. Houdini, this natty is for you!
Quote from: tigerblood on January 11, 2019, 08:50:59 am
Boy's I woke up this morning and had to start poppin tops on these Natty early. Just got the word from Eagle country that ole Houdini Widener has packed his bags and boarded the ship on course for Raiderland. I tell you what if you would have told me Houdini was leaving, I would have called you crazy and laughed all the way to my cousins house who I am dating right now. If anyone can fix the Raider Football program its Houdini Widener. Shoot, with him at the helm you may pillage every village this side of the rio grande. $5 says he rides into his first game as head raider on a pirate ship filled with gold and booty, dressed as black beard, and waving the ole jolly roger... What a sight! Heck, I may even start with some captain morgan instead of Nattys. All the memories we have from his time at my alma mater, Des Arc, from him wrestling that black panther, to being carried in on the wings of Eagles. Never know what lies ahead with Houdini, but you do know one thing...you'll be successful doing it. Cannot wait to see the success Riverview will see, I may show up to the game wearing a rather large mechanics jumpsuit with a name tag that says 'Brian' to show my support.. Houdini, this natty is for you!
Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not. Haha
Quote from: tigerblood on January 11, 2019, 08:50:59 am
Boy's I woke up this morning and had to start poppin tops on these Natty early. Just got the word from Eagle country that ole Houdini Widener has packed his bags and boarded the ship on course for Raiderland. I tell you what if you would have told me Houdini was leaving, I would have called you crazy and laughed all the way to my cousins house who I am dating right now. If anyone can fix the Raider Football program its Houdini Widener. Shoot, with him at the helm you may pillage every village this side of the rio grande. $5 says he rides into his first game as head raider on a pirate ship filled with gold and booty, dressed as black beard, and waving the ole jolly roger... What a sight! Heck, I may even start with some captain morgan instead of Nattys. All the memories we have from his time at my alma mater, Des Arc, from him wrestling that black panther, to being carried in on the wings of Eagles. Never know what lies ahead with Houdini, but you do know one thing...you'll be successful doing it. Cannot wait to see the success Riverview will see, I may show up to the game wearing a rather large mechanics jumpsuit with a name tag that says 'Brian' to show my support.. Houdini, this natty is for you!
+1
Widener has taken this job? That's interesting. He certainly has his work cut out for him with this program.
Quote from: SUGARTOWN on January 11, 2019, 02:30:50 pm
Widener has taken this job? That's interesting. He certainly has his work cut out for him with this program.
Yeah, that one kind of surprised me.
He will bring the passion that Riverview will need to succeed that is for sure. It will be all about how your team buys in he took a first round team last year to the quarterfinals this year and no one said they would be able to be their. Your team is getting a good coach who will put everything into smash mouth football. I know that Riverview called him and asked what it took to get him their and he threw out a ridiculous number and they accepted it. Good luck to Riverview and coach Widener
Great hire for Riverview! Widener will do a great job there.
Quote from: GotInfo? on January 14, 2019, 09:19:37 am
Great hire for Riverview! Widener will do a great job there.
So, What you are saying is that the other people they interviewed wouldn't do a great job?? lol jk
Quote from: GotInfo? on January 14, 2019, 09:19:37 am
Great hire for Riverview! Widener will do a great job there.
That remains to be seen, there's not much to work with there.
Quote from: SUGARTOWN on January 14, 2019, 12:41:24 pm
That remains to be seen, there's not much to work with there.
I saw them play basketball a few years back and they had some really good looking talent. I would think that they have some kids walking around that can play
Quote from: purpleswag on January 14, 2019, 12:54:18 pm
I saw them play basketball a few years back and they had some really good looking talent. I would think that they have some kids walking around that can play
I'm sure they do, but it's the culture that he's going to have to change there to be successful. Maybe he can, we'll see.
From the newspaper article I just read, he may already be facing his first obstacle.
He has he's work cut out for him, he want do it in a year but I think he can get it done.
Quote from: pick_DA_EAGLES on January 16, 2019, 08:11:52 pm
From the newspaper article I just read, he may already be facing his first obstacle.
Care to share?
Fake news ????
Quote from: Lumberjackfan1978 on January 16, 2019, 08:17:41 pm
He has he's work cut out for him, he want do it in a year but I think he can get it done.
Can a good coach overcome lack of numbers & a lower talent pool? I think if Riverview goes back to 3A, it will definitely help things out for sure.
Quote from: i40traveler on January 17, 2019, 07:10:58 am
Care to share?
not sure how to share it on here. someone text me the article, from the daily citizen
Found it.
Riverview football players felt muted during hiring process
By Bruce Guthrie sports@thedailycitizen.com
I need to just make a few things clear about the piece that appears in today's center.
Student athletes should not have a direct say in who becomes their head coach. More times than not, they are just too emotionally attached. That is clearly the case with Riverview's athletes regarding the hiring of their new head coach which was done Thursday when the board approved Drake Widener to take over for permanently for Mike McCain. Assistant coach Larry Davison had been the Raiders' head coach in the interim.
But the fact that they are that emotionally charged over what they believed was an injustice says two things about these young men. They are fierceley loyal and they are courageous enough to put themselves out there and stand up for what they believed.
It also says that Davison did a fantastic job in connecting with these players and being their leader and mentor for nine years that he has been on the Raiders' staff.
Isn't that what it's about?
These guys didn't protest because they didn't get what they wanted. They just wanted to be heard and they felt as though their opinion was cast aside, and you know what? That's what it looks like on the surface.
Superintendent David Rutledge took a stack of nearly 40 letters unanimously endorsing Davison from Logan Miller, who understandably, along with Carter Dunn, has been the spokesmen for this movement.
I'm not sure if those letters went anywhere, but no one on the board knew of them. That's a shame. Those boys should have at least been heard.
Friday was a busy day. On Thursday night after word of Widener's hiring was confirmed, I received a message from Dunn, who asked if I would meet with the entire team at the fieldhouse.
That was definitely a first for me, and I was incredibly impressed. I spent a few minutes with them before practice and they were so impassioned for their mentor and father figure, that they threatened to walk away.
Don't walk away.
I want to say this to the Raiders' players. Please do not quit. Don't even entertain the notion, and parents don't let them quit over this.
In life, you will have to work for bosses you don't get along with. Many times, you don't get to pick who your boss is. Plus, in 10 years, or whenever you guys get together when you're old and out of shape, do you really want to look at each other and talk about how you quit football?
Don't you want to talk about how great the 2019 season was? Don't you want to recall with a big smile on your face about that huge playoff run you went on that year?
You might go to the playoffs. You might win a state title. But in order to do that, you have to play. You definitely won't go to the playoffs or win a state championship if you don't play.
On Friday, I was able to speak with Widener three times. He is a good fit for this team. He is enthusiastic. He is motivated and driven. I believe he will get in there and give everything he's got to allow these boys to win in football, and in life.
My advice, for what it's worth, to the Raiders old and new: Put all this behind you, and go win football games.
One of the great lines from Varsity Blues include just three simple words.
"Let's be heroes."
http://www.thedailycitizen.com/sports/sports.php?ID=13762
There were actually 2 separate articles written on Tues about it in that same paper.
Quote from: i40traveler on January 17, 2019, 10:31:57 am
Found it.
Riverview football players felt muted during hiring process
By Bruce Guthrie sports@thedailycitizen.com
I need to just make a few things clear about the piece that appears in today's center.
Student athletes should not have a direct say in who becomes their head coach. More times than not, they are just too emotionally attached. That is clearly the case with Riverview's athletes regarding the hiring of their new head coach which was done Thursday when the board approved Drake Widener to take over for permanently for Mike McCain. Assistant coach Larry Davison had been the Raiders' head coach in the interim.
But the fact that they are that emotionally charged over what they believed was an injustice says two things about these young men. They are fierceley loyal and they are courageous enough to put themselves out there and stand up for what they believed.
It also says that Davison did a fantastic job in connecting with these players and being their leader and mentor for nine years that he has been on the Raiders' staff.
Isn't that what it's about?
These guys didn't protest because they didn't get what they wanted. They just wanted to be heard and they felt as though their opinion was cast aside, and you know what? That's what it looks like on the surface.
Superintendent David Rutledge took a stack of nearly 40 letters unanimously endorsing Davison from Logan Miller, who understandably, along with Carter Dunn, has been the spokesmen for this movement.
I'm not sure if those letters went anywhere, but no one on the board knew of them. That's a shame. Those boys should have at least been heard.
Friday was a busy day. On Thursday night after word of Widener's hiring was confirmed, I received a message from Dunn, who asked if I would meet with the entire team at the fieldhouse.
That was definitely a first for me, and I was incredibly impressed. I spent a few minutes with them before practice and they were so impassioned for their mentor and father figure, that they threatened to walk away.
Don't walk away.
I want to say this to the Raiders' players. Please do not quit. Don't even entertain the notion, and parents don't let them quit over this.
In life, you will have to work for bosses you don't get along with. Many times, you don't get to pick who your boss is. Plus, in 10 years, or whenever you guys get together when you're old and out of shape, do you really want to look at each other and talk about how you quit football?
Don't you want to talk about how great the 2019 season was? Don't you want to recall with a big smile on your face about that huge playoff run you went on that year?
You might go to the playoffs. You might win a state title. But in order to do that, you have to play. You definitely won't go to the playoffs or win a state championship if you don't play.
On Friday, I was able to speak with Widener three times. He is a good fit for this team. He is enthusiastic. He is motivated and driven. I believe he will get in there and give everything he's got to allow these boys to win in football, and in life.
My advice, for what it's worth, to the Raiders old and new: Put all this behind you, and go win football games.
One of the great lines from Varsity Blues include just three simple words.
"Let's be heroes."
http://www.thedailycitizen.com/sports/sports.php?ID=13762
Let them Quit,that's about what happens in High School Sports today. Too many cry babies!
I saw the other article. IF the players will buy into Drakes ways, they will be fine. if they do what the Bauxite players did to Prescott when he went there, then Drakes fate may end up like Prescotts.
the players need to buy into the system.
Kids are more likely to quit these days than buckle down and work hard to win. I can't see this program changing much, at least not for a few years.
Quote from: SUGARTOWN on January 17, 2019, 12:23:01 pm
Kids are more likely to quit these days than buckle down and work hard to win. I can't see this program changing much, at least not for a few years.
Especially if they already hold a grudge because of the not hiring of the guy they wanted
Quote from: airitout on January 18, 2019, 09:07:03 am
Especially if they already hold a grudge because of the not hiring of the guy they wanted
If the children wanted Davidson, they should have shown it on the field. The HIGH number of ejections and foolishness late in the season were more a representation than any letters could be IMO.
Quote from: arkansasFBscoop on January 18, 2019, 09:44:38 am
If the children wanted Davidson, they should have shown it on the field. The HIGH number of ejections and foolishness late in the season were more a representation than any letters could be IMO.
drake WILL NOT stand for any foolishness or ejections. I know for a fact he dismissed more than one player from des arc for acting out, and im not talking water boys players either.
Quote from: arkansasFBscoop on January 18, 2019, 09:44:38 am
If the children wanted Davidson, they should have shown it on the field. The HIGH number of ejections and foolishness late in the season were more a representation than any letters could be IMO.
The QB got ejected, don't remember anyone else this season.
Quote from: The Ref on January 18, 2019, 12:41:29 pm
The QB got ejected, don't remember anyone else this season.
Was Davidson the coach that got ejected in the Stuttgart game?
Quote from: SUGARTOWN on January 18, 2019, 02:37:29 pm
Was Davidson the coach that got ejected in the Stuttgart game?
No that was a volunteer coach, forgot about that.
Riverview should be able to pull those 2nd string Searcy Boys, as well as those in the district. Heck the may can even pull some out of parts of White County. Just have to have the right leader.
Quote from: Mulerider4Life on January 21, 2019, 10:24:45 am
Riverview should be able to pull those 2nd string Searcy Boys, as well as those in the district. Heck the may can even pull some out of parts of White County. Just have to have the right leader.
I heard the enrollment has been declining enrollment the past few years & there's a good chance that they could go back to 3A. For whatever reason, it's not held in very high regard around White Co. McCain, the previous coach, was a great leader but there still weren't kids moving in & he came over from Searcy HS.
Quote from: The Ref on January 21, 2019, 01:42:34 pm
I heard the enrollment has been declining enrollment the past few years & there's a good chance that they could go back to 3A. For whatever reason, it's not held in very high regard around White Co. McCain, the previous coach, was a great leader but there still weren't kids moving in & he came over from Searcy HS.
Well it will be just a matter of time I think. No school in that kind of area stays small for too long.
Quote from: Mulerider4Life on January 21, 2019, 02:32:33 pm
Well it will be just a matter of time I think. No school in that kind of area stays small for too long.
So you think Kensett & judsonia are going to get an influx of population in the near future? You do realize that the district only reaches into a very small part of Searcy right?
Quote from: The Ref on January 21, 2019, 03:20:26 pm
So you think Kensett & judsonia are going to get an influx of population in the near future? You do realize that the district only reaches into a very small part of Searcy right?
Two Words.
School choice.