Van Paschal excited for the challenge of providing "shot in the arm" for Heber Springs

By Kyle Sutherland 

HEBER SPRINGS - Over the past six months, Van Paschal endured perhaps the most enormous trial of his professional career and now faces the tall task of turning Heber Springs from a struggling program to an annual contender.

Following a suspension last October with three games left in the regular season, Paschal resigned from his previous position at Wynne during a school board hearing held on November 28.

Paschal was given a fresh start in his established career when Heber Springs approved him as the program’s next football coach succeeding Todd Wood, who resigned in May after compiling a 7-22 record in three seasons with the Panthers.

He has already gotten a few looks at his new team, but Paschal has hardly had a chance to look up.

“It has been 100 miles an hour and a blur,” Paschal said. “I got hired last Tuesday, and I do not even know what day it is to be honest with you. We still have to sell our house in Wynne and find something up here, but I have been up here pretty much the whole time since I got hired.”

Some may wonder why Paschal would take over a program that has experienced little success after he built Wynne into a perennial playoff contender winning 51 games in six seasons, including a trip to the semifinals in 2020.

The Panthers earned a postseason berth in 2019, as well as the 2020 COVID season in which every team was eligible, but they have not finished with a winning record since 2018 when they won seven games before falling to Rivercrest 50-36 in the second round. They did win back-to-back 4A-2 conference titles in 2016-17, the most recent span of consecutive success.

However, re-energizing a down squad is nothing new to Paschal.

“This is not the first time I have come into a program that needs a shot in the arm," Paschal said. "That is just how I see it so we have been preaching for them to take the medicine."

When Paschal took the job last week, the Panthers had 22 players on the team and have since increased that number to 31 so far. 

Heber has been known to run some form of the spread offense for most of the 21st century, but Paschal plans to stand by his signature flexbone. It will be a while before he is able to see it live in practice, but so far the kids have bought into the change.

“Day 1, they were just trying to get a snap and would do some of the things that we do not do, but they are picking it up pretty quick,” Paschal said. “We have installed some veer plays - 23 and 24 option - as well as being able to pass off of it and some of it has been pretty, some has not.

“They are picking it up and buying into our excitement, and they have a much different look than they did on the first day.”

As expected, the aforementioned adversity Paschal faced was trying, but is just another example of triumph when times get tough. He has relied heavily on his faith throughout the process with patience being his biggest virtue.

“(The book of) James teaches patience, and the way I see it is that this was God-ordained even though the devil was involved, and he is always involved in our stuff if we are doing things for the Lord,” Paschal said. “God allowed things to take place in order for us to grow and be the best we want to be.

“We have tried to take the high road, and I pray for Wynne and the town. The people there are tremendous and the ones that were involved in our situation, I just pray that they can look back and if they made mistakes just admit it and go on. That is what people of character do and if you do not do that then hard times are waiting.”

As has been his goal to lead players in the right direction for over three decades, Paschal hopes anyone in the coaching profession who endures hard times can look at the silver lining as he and his family have done.

“I told my wife that I do not have cancer that I know of, I have two arms and two legs, and I can think,” Paschal said. “There are people that can not walk, see, think, or talk and they are the ones who are in a trial. Mine is just refinement.

“The Bible mentions that if a man can not stand adversity then he ain’t much."

Paschal, who is entering his 33rd season as a head coach, is one of the state’s more successful all-time coaches. His 241 career victories rank 12th all-time and second amongst active coaches, behind only Clay Totty who coincidentally took over for Paschal at Wynne following a highly successful quarter-century run at Rison.

Prior to Wynne, Paschal got his first head coaching position his alma mater, Brinkley, from 1991-2001, then went to Sheridan for the 2002 season before a stint at De Queen from 2003-04. He took the Monticello job in 2005 and won the Class 5A state title with the Billies in 2009, then left for Barton where he stayed from 2010-2016 before accepting the position at Wynne. Paschal led Barton to the 2011 3A state finals.

Heber Springs is known for its gorgeous scenery ranging from Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River, along with plenty of other activities, including fishing. Anyone who knows Paschal will tell you he loves to be outdoors and on the water, but he is here to take the Panthers to the top.

“I like to fish, but I did not come to Heber Springs to retire, it is just where God has led me,” Paschal said. “I have had 50 or so people say ‘Well, you got you another lake’, but I won’t be on the lake until well after football season ends.

“We are coming up here to be No. 1 in the state of Arkansas and I pray to lead some people to Christ along the way, but that is the goal.”