Texarkana, Ark., School District hired Barry Norton as its head football coach and athletic director Tuesday, pulling the crosstown rival head man away from Texas High.
"Mr. Norton has been at Texas High for 18 years, so he's shown he has longevity," TASD school board President Larry Manley said. "He's shown to have great ties to the community, not just the Texas side but Texarkana as a whole. He's committed to the community, and he's committed to winning. He's built the program up over there and also instilled a winning tradition."
Norton brings almost two decades of winning and winning at a high level to an Arkansas High program that has had only two seasons where they have finished at .500 or higher during the past decade.
"I look forward to working with our students, families, staff and community to continue the proud Razorback tradition," Norton said through a press release. "The road to success in rebuilding the football program, as well as, our other programs, will be both challenging and rewarding. We must focus on what's ahead of us and move forward."
The Tigers have been in the playoffs 17 of the 18 seasons under Norton and won the 2002 Class 4A, Division I state championship. There were also state titles in swimming, baseball and boys track during his tenure, according to the release.
"He's a proven winner; his years at Texas High shows that," Manley said. "We wanted the best for our district and that's what made him stand out to us."
Reportedly, 47 applicants applied for the position, but Norton's winning and ability to revamp programs in disarray raised him to the top. TASD will hold a press conference to introduce Norton at 10 a.m. today at the administration building on Jefferson Avenue.
TISD Superintendent Paul Norton confirmed that he received a call from Kesler on Friday regarding employment of Barry Norton for the position of athletic director and high school coach, TISD Public Relations Director Tina Veal-Gooch said Tuesday.
"We had some great applicants and we have some awesome finalists. He (Norton) definitely rose to the top. His track record speaks for itself. He's a winner and we feel like he's going to be great for TASD," Superintendent Dr. Becky Kesler said.
Arkansas High is gaining a seasoned leader who understands the area and also the student-athletes he is inheriting.
Norton holds an impressive 176-32-1 career record. In 18 seasons, his Tigers went 15-2-1 against its crosstown foe.
Norton has the knack for getting the most out of his players, which is demonstrated by the many annual national signing day ceremonies at Texas High.
"The board is wholeheartedly behind this decision. We stand behind Dr. Kesler about her decision to bring him over here, and we're just looking forward to the positive relationship working with Mr. Norton," Manley said.
Prior to TISD, Norton made impactful stops at Lufkin and West-Orange Stark, both of which are perennial powerhouses in the state of Texas.
He replaces Todd Ledford, who resigned from Arkansas High in early December. Ledford took over the position at AHS after serving as an assistant at Texas High.
"We're excited about this hire and we also have stadium renovations in place," Kessler said. "We can't wait for football season to get here."