Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Farmington eyes three for athletic director
FARMINGTON — The School District wants its new athletic director to “demonstrate relentless commitment to academic and athletic achievement of all students,” according to the position description in a recruitment advertisement.
Last week Farmington began evaluating 20 applicants for the athletic director position with a hire expected by July 1. The process went into the interview stage June 1.
According to Michelle Beeks in the district office, a formal recommendation will be presented to the School Board on June 22.
Five years ago Farmington operated through a different set of lenses prior to vast changes comprised of three phases of construction finished since January 2015 beginning with Cardinal Arena and the Performing Arts Center, a new high school in 2017; and most recently — completion of the $16 million Farmington Sports Complex in 2019.
The district began accepting in-house applications in mid-May then opened the position to at-large applicants a few days later. Incoming Superintendent Jon Paul Laffoon, who will take over July 1, formed a committee to review the applications and Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Pinkerton received applications in the district office.
The covid-19 pandemic apparently didn’t detract from the number of applications received with 17 people willing to move should they be selected for the position. According to Beeks, applications from outside the state included five from Texas, two from Maryland, and one each from Iowa, Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota. The district received four applications from Northwest Arkansas, one from
Vilonia and one from Fort Smith.
Three longtime head coaches at Farmington — Jay Harper (baseball), Randy Osnes (softball and golf) and Beau Thompson (boys basketball) — submitted in-house applications. Harper is dean of students at the high school, works as an assistant football coach and returned to the defensive coordinator position in 2019.
The hiring committee is made up of Laffoon, outgoing Superintendent Bryan Law, Pinkerton, Assistant Superintendent Terri Strope, high school Principal Jon Purifoy and Joe McClung, junior high principal.
Purifoy assumed the responsibilities of interim athletic director following the retirement of long-time athletic director Brad Blew on Jan. 31. Purifoy, who already has substantial full-time duties as principal, didn’t intend to stay on as athletic director.
Laffoon said the committee interviewed Harper, Osnes and Thompson and doesn’t plan to interview any of the candidates from outside the district.
“I looked through all the applications and the inside applicants were very strong,” Laffoon said.