As of Dec.11, the football team’s head coach Brent Eckley has resigned from his position. After two seasons with the Wildcats, he has decided to move back home, closer to his family in Missouri. Leaving with a record of 4-18 since taking over the program in 2023, administration is already looking for another head coach to fill the position.
“I’m sad to leave the coaches and players,” Eckley said. “I hope they had a good experience, I hope they enjoyed the connections we made.”
While he looks forward to being closer to his kids and grandkids, Eckley does mention sad feelings towards leaving the group of players here.
“I hope the team can regroup and find hope and belief in their ability to compete and win games,” Eckley said. “A new coach can help foster that belief. When things change, it can give people a reason why they can be successful.”
Currently, defensive coach Ryan Heaton is stepping in until a new head coach is found. As some of the players are sad to see Eckley go, they are already thinking about what they need next season for the new head coach.
“I just want a coach that will care for us, to respect us as players and not treat us as something that he uses for business,” junior wide receiver Austin Sandoval said. “Beating Springdale is a big one too, our rivalry, and I want them to respect that a lot.”
Another trait that junior running back Titus Cramer has is a coach with solid experience as well as a continuous motivation to win.
“Maybe someone that just kind of has that experience here with the level of competition of the 7A,” Cramer said. “And also a coach that kind of still needs to prove himself so that he’s grinding with us.”
With many mixed feelings towards the resignation, the returning players are trying to look towards next season and stay focused on the start of the offseason.
“We have to move on,” senior quarterback Evan Baker said. “Some may have liked him, some may have not. But they just gotta move on and hope for the best in the future.”
Through these last two years, Eckley has made an impact on this team. As he leaves, he feels confident he left parts of the program in better shape than when he started.
“We improved the weight room, indoor, and fieldhouse,” Eckley said. “We invested more heavily in technology and social media presence as well as uniforms and protective equipment.”
Eckley is unsure on where he will end up, but he believes he will coach again somewhere else that will be a good fit for him and his family. Coaches and players close to Eckley wish him the best of luck and are grateful for his influence.
“He’s a good coach,” Sandoval said. “He has a lot of respect towards this program, so I really respect him for that.”