Decatur basketball gets new head coach
Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Smith
DECATUR - The Decatur basketball programs have a new leader - again.
Former Lincoln assistant coach Donnie Smith is the new basketball coach for the both Decatur basketball teams after Dan Garringer left the district for Mountainburg in early August.
Garringer, who was the head girls'coach in 2007-08, was given the head coaching positions for both basketball teams when boys' coach Andrew Tencleve left Decatur in May to go to Cedarville.
Decatur was placed in fiscal distress at the beginning of the summer and was taken over by the state Board of Education on July 31.
Garringer, who has coached for 35 years, was convinced to delay his retirement and come to Decatur last summer by former Decatur superintendent Dave Smith.
Garringer said in early July he had a backup plan to go to Mountainburg in case Decatur was closed, but was planning on remaining with the Bulldogs if the school remained open. Donnie Smith was hired on Aug. 7. It's Smith's first head coaching position.
Smith will be the head coach for six different teams: the boys' and girls' senior high, junior high and seventh grade teams. Smith said he learned about Garringer leaving Decatur, inquired about the open position and met with principal Bobby King. "I talked with Mr. King and he told me about the situation, about the finances, and that the state was in charge of them," Smith said. "He explained to me everything that went on and everything they had done to correct the situation. " "After talking to (King ) and talking to my superintendent, Frank Holman at Lincoln, I thought it'd be okay, a safe move, He offered me the position and I accepted it. "Smith had been an assistant football, basketball and track coach for the junior high and senior high programs at Lincoln for the last two years. He'd also served as the town's athletic coordinator for youth sports, including pee-wee football, youth baseball and basketball. Smith, 38, played sports for Viola in his high school years. He got his bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas. The Bulldogs finished 12-15 last season, while the Lady Bulldogs struggled to a 1-24 mark but have All-Conference junior guard Kimmy Nelson returning. The second day of school Tuesday was Smith' first real opportunity to hold practice, he said. "It'll be a challenge but I've some kids that seem to have a pretty good work ethic," Smith said. "They seem to work hard. I believe that we'll really be able to compete at the junior high and senior high level."
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