Kyle Sutherland: Multiple high-profile coaching moves reminded us in 2023 that all great things must come to an end

"Never say never" is a phrase I am continuously training myself to fully live by due to all of the life and career lessons that I took from 2023. 

Considering the multitude of unexpected turns throughout the Arkansas high school football coaching carousel, I am hesitant to even bring the subject up with less than a week before the calendar flips to 2024 and the minute, but possible, chance something else happens. 

This is my third year covering the entire state and in that span I have either tweeted ('posted' is the new way to say it, I guess) or written about more than 100 coaching changes. However, looking back at this time last year on the cusp of 2023, I never had even a single thought about what was coming.

It actually all began 10 days prior to Christmas 2022 when Clay Totty, who compiled an illustrious quarter-century career at Rison, announced he was heading to Wynne following the polarizing exit of Van Paschal from the program. 

After that it was moderately quiet for a while. 

At least it was until May when Keith Fimple surprised many and announced he was heading back up to Northwest Arkansas to become the athletic director for the Springdale School District. Fimple was the head coach at Conway for five seasons and took the Wampus Cats to the semifinals each year from 2020-22. 

Around that time, the 2022-23 school year was wrapping up and the SBLive Arkansas staff were finishing our spring sports coverage at the Weekend of Champions in Conway. I remember thinking as I finished covering the 5A softball state championship game, the final contest that I covered for that school year, how excited I was to get away for some vacation time in Orange Beach, Fla., the next week.

That was, until I received a call two days before I left and was told Buck James was going to be named head coach at Conway. 

I did not believe it at first; however, my mind changed quickly once I compiled plenty of reasons for those claims to be accurate. That was a Thursday and by the following Tuesday at about 5:30 a.m., I was worried my phone was going to explode in my hand from the continuous calls and texts. 

It was a huge deal. This was a guy who had just led Bryant to its historic fifth-consecutive 7A state championship and had not lost against in-state competition in 54 tries. The million-dollar question was why in the world would he leave, especially when the Hornets expected to be heavy contenders for the title again? Ultimately, it was just an opportunity James "could not pass up."

As if that were not enough to make you sit and process, Quad Sanders – who was James' defensive coordinator on all five championship teams – had left two months prior to replace Randy Coleman as head coach at Jonesboro, but Sanders returned to take the same position with the Hornets a day after James bolted for Conway. 

Oh yeah, also on the day it was announced Sanders was going back to Bryant, Paschal, who is tied with the aforementioned Totty as Arkansas' winningest active coaches with 247 career victories, accepted the job at Heber Springs. 

About a month later more shock, mixed with grief, spread across the state. Former Razorback and NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett tragically lost his life after drowning while on vacation in Destin, Fla., just a few weeks removed from his 35th birthday. Mallett was set to begin his second season as White Hall's head coach. 

The season eventually got here and major news, at least in terms of coaching, calmed down for a few months. Well, minus the eyebrow-raising report on the boys basketball front when David Clark abruptly resigned from Marion before the season opener after winning 108 games in five seasons with the Patriots. 

After Kevin Kelley, nationally known as 'The Coach Who Never Punts', resigned from Presbyterian College (S.C.) just over two years ago, it was only a matter of time before he got back in the game. Anyone who has ever spent five minutes around him understands that.

The rumors swirled last season around the holidays that Kelley might be on his way back and they picked back up quickly once again earlier this month. Well, Kelley indeed will return to the sidelines and that did not come as a surprise near to the extent of where he went did. 

Kelley – who led Pulaski Academy to 216 wins and nine state titles from 2003-20 – was approved as Sheridan's next coach Dec. 11. 

On paper, it makes no sense. Sheridan has compiled only two winning seasons in the 21st century and not won a playoff game since 1987. However, for someone like Kelley who aches for challenges and proving doubters wrong, it is the perfect gig for him.

It did not end with Kelley, though. Eric Cohu confirmed two days after Sheridan hired Kelley that he was resigning as head coach of Little Rock Christian, the arch rival of Kelley's former team, Pulaski Academy, after seven seasons to focus on other football-related opportunities. Cohu took the Warriors to the state finals in four of the past six seasons and won the 5A championship over PA in 2018.

Finally, White Hall announced the hiring of Daryl Patton from Little Rock Southwest on Dec. 22. Patton won four state championships with Fayetteville from 2003-15 but struggled in getting Southwest off the ground. After being tabbed the program's first head coach, Patton went 6-31 in four seasons with the Gryphons. 

While it remains to be seen with Kelley on the field at a new program, the others mentioned have kept the success rolling. 

James won 10 games with Conway and got the Wampus Cats to the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. While Bryant might not have earned its sixth consecutive championship, Sanders did lead the Hornets to the semifinals and the they won their fifth straight 7A-Central title. Paschal defied the odds and coached a Heber squad that won just two games in 2022 to six victories and finished second in the 4A-2 behind state champion Harding Academy. Totty also did an admirable job getting Wynne to the 5A playoffs after it was not certain the Yellowjackets would even have a season due to the continuous recovery efforts from the devastating tornados back in late March. 

Change is oftentimes hard, but these are just a few close-to-home examples that it can be for the best. Furthermore, each year brings new opportunities and sometimes grabbing life by the horns and taking that risk outweighs living with regret. 

(Cover photo of Conway's Buck James by Jimmy Jones)

– Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR