Harriman returning as interim AD
■ Kevin Downing was hired as athletic director at Bentonville West.
The Siloam Springs School District is turning to a familiar face to help lead its athletics program for the 2019-2020 school year.
Former head football coach and athletics director Ken Harriman was hired Thursday night as the district’s interim athletics director for the 2019-2020 calendar year.
The position opened up this past week when Kevin Downing resigned to take the athletics director position at Bentonville West. Downing had been the district’s AD since 2013.
Harriman was the district’s athletics director from 1998 to 2002, along with being the head football coach from 1998-2000 and assistant principal from 2000-02.
Harriman left Siloam Springs in 2002 to return to Huntsville, where he worked for 10 years as head football coach and athletics director from 1988-1998 prior to coming to Siloam Springs. He was head football coach/AD from 2002-2005 and 2008-2010. In 2010 he moved into the role of assistant superintendent/AD and remained in that role until 2012. From 20122015 he served as high school principal before retiring. Overall he has 33 years of experience in education.
Superintendent Jody Wiggins said Harriman will serve into the role on an interim basis for this year and the district will open the position back up in the spring.
“We are very lucky to find someone who has experience as an athletic director, head coach, and principal,” Wiggins said. “Coach Harriman is a good man. He has a unique gift in building and maintaining relationships. He still has ties to our community and to some of our coaches from when he served here as head football coach and athletic director. I am excited to have him coming back into the Panther family.”
Along with former coaches he once worked with, Harriman has current family ties to the athletics program. His son, Cole, is the defensive coordinator for the SSHS football team.
Ken Harriman said Thursday that he’s looking forward to coming back to Siloam Springs,
“I’m excited to do this,” he said. “I’ve always had very fond memories of Siloam. I have known Mr. Wiggins for a long time and very much appreciate this opportunity. I look forward to meeting all the coaches and getting this year started.”
Downing was hired Tuesday by the Bentonville School District, which also named Chris Hutchens as athletics director at Bentonville High and named Scott Passmore as the AD over the entire district.
Downing came to Siloam Springs in the fall of 2013 and had a role in the district building Panther Stadium, which opened in 2015. Downing was named the 2015-16 Arkansas Athletics Director of the Year as voted on by state athletics directors.
“Kevin has done a wonderful job as our athletic director over the last six years,” Wiggins said. “He brings a sense of professionalism to everything he does. Under his guidance we have had much success across many different sports, hired some truly amazing coaches, hosted a wide variety of conference and state tournaments and opened one of the nicest high school football stadiums in the state. He has been a strong advocate for our district and has earned the respect of other athletic directors/ administrators around the region and across the state. Kevin will be missed, and we wish him the best.”
Downing said he has enjoyed being a part of the Siloam Springs School District.
“We have tremendous students, coaches, administration, staff and community that work together to make this a special place,” Downing said. “Facilities continue to be upgraded and the future looks bright for this great district. I appreciate all the support over the years. The SSSD staff and booster clubs help make this program one of the best.”
Wiggins agreed that the future of the district’s athletics program looks bright.
“This district has the best group of coaches I have been around in my 27 years in education,” Wiggins said. “We have great kids, amazing community support and some of the best facilities around, so I know we will continue to have strong athletic programs well into the future.”