Rogers board tabs Wilson as its new athletic director

ROGERS —The Rogers Public Schools Board of Education accepted the recommendation of Paul Wilson as its new athletic director at its regular meeting Tuesday evening.

Wilson, 58, was chosen among four candidates who interviewed for the position. Wilson was interviewed along with Brad Stamps, Fayetteville High School boys’ basketball coach; Grant Brewer, a manager at DroneUp, and Alex Castillo, Bentonville West girls’ soccer coach.

Despite spending the last 1 1/2 years as athletic director at Gulf Shores, Ala., Wilson’s Arkansas roots run deep. He spent 16 years in Rogers Public Schools in a variety of duties and has spent 33 years in education, including four as assistant principal and onsite athletic director at Rogers High School. He also was an assistant football coach at Arkansas State from 1995-97 and high school head coach in Northeast Arkansas.

He said having developed relationships with personnel at both Rogers and Rogers Heritage should be a positive and he’s looking forward to working with those people again.

“I feel very confident in coming home and continuing to grow athletics there,” Wilson said. “I’ve got some of my own ideas. I anticipate some change but want to see how things are going first and foremost. I’m looking forward to some new challenges and a new adventure.”

Wilson’s daughter, Josie, graduated from the University of Arkansas in December and starts physical therapy graduate school soon in Fort Smith. His son, Jed, is a specialist in the Army and currently stationed in Korea.

Wilson said after his experience working in a different school district and a different state, he has some ideas that he could bring with him back to Rogers.

“Being out of state in a district that runs things in some ways a little differently, there’s some neat ideas that I would love to entertain bringing home to help our athletics,” Wilson said. “We just have to cross those bridges as they present themselves. It’s been great experience.”

He said he’s just looking to continue learning and help athletics grow.

“Like when I was coaching or teaching, if I’m not learning new ideas, things evolve, communities change, so if you’re not wanting to continue to learn new things and try new things while you’re still doing the tried and true building blocks, you’re not getting better,” Wilson said.

Assistant superintendent Charles Lee, who was on the committee that interviewed the candidates, said Wilson stood out during the process.

“We went through the process and the five-member committee interviewed four good applicants,” Lee said. “It was a unanimous decision that this is who we want. Paul knows Rogers and that’s a plus, and he’s been an administrator in Rogers which is a plus, and has a bunch of coaching experience which is a plus. … When we saw his name in the applicant pool we knew we were getting a good applicant. It wasn’t anything against the other candidates, but Paul just stood out above the other three and made the decision to make the recommendation to bring him back”

Wilson replaces Keith Kilgore, who retired from education in Arkansas recently, then was hired as activities director in Neosho, Mo.

Wilson