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Neathery ready to rebuild Panthers |
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
Scott Neathery wasted no time jumping into his new job. The former Benton athletic director/transportation director, turned head football coach, was already supervising afternoon workouts with his new team Tuesday afternoon. The Benton School Board approved his hiring Monday night as former coach Steve Quinn shifts to Neathery’s old job, sharing those responsibilities with basketball coach Chris Nail.
“I’m feeling a sense of urgency and ready to get to work,” Neathery said Tuesday. “I’m ready to start out with two things that need improvement. Number one, I want to recruit the athletes at our school. Football is a numbers game, and we need to get as many kids playing football as we can. Whether they are 100 pounds or 400 pounds, I want them out for football in the eighth grade and keep them out. We want big senior classes. Number 2, we are looking for improvement in skill development. It’s no secret I run the Multiple Spread offense, and it is quartearback-driven. We are going to look at six to eight kids to play quarerback. We are going to stress skill development in throwing the ball and finding receivers and teaching them how to catch the ball the right way.”
Neathery employed the Hurry-up Spread while serving as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator under Marc Jones. The offenses racked up proflific numbers, averaging more than 30 points per game in two different seasons.
“We were one of the first ones to use the quarterback zone reads, and I love using the mid-level and short games because it is a great equalizer if you can control the sidelines,” Neathery said. “We put up some ridiculous numbers in three years. This offense can score quick if your are patient.”
Still, the teams Neathery coached were blessed with good talent, including quarterbacks. Justin Wray and Josh Langley, who moved on to play college football. The Panthers, who were 1-9 last season, lacked playmakers on offense. Neathery knows he must work together with coaches at lower levels to cultivate talent.
The eighth and ninth grade programs are also running the Hurry-Up. Neathery said he will talk with coaches in the Future Panthers program about his philosophies, but won’t require them to run the new offense.
One of Neathery’s other immediate tasks is hiring a pair of assistants. A vacant spot remained from last year, and recently defensive coordinator Russ Pickett resigned to accept the defensive coordinator job at Navarro (Texas) Junior College.
Neathery served as offensive coordinator and receiver’s coach. He’s appointed Rusty Davis as special teams coordinator and insists an emphasis be placed on the kicking game with the 8th and 9th grade programs.
Talking football is a refreshing change for Neathery, who served as the Benton A.D. since 2007. Neathery, who assisted at Bryant and Benton, began the 2006 season as the Sheridan head coach. Leukemia sidelined him for most of the season. He tried to coach spring football in 2007, but the after affects of the leukemia made working in the hot sun impossible. He resigned his post and accepted the A.D. job at Benton.
Recently, doctors gave him a clean bill of health and gave him the OK to return to physical activities.
The burning desire to coach hadn’t left, so he applied for the Hot Springs Lakeside head-coaching job last month. He was one of nine finalists, but pulled out of the running the day before his scheduled interview.
Soon after Benton coach Steve Quinn expressed a desire to move administration. Benton superintendent Tony Prothro posted the football job district wide and the athletic director job statewide.
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Razorbacks
