Nashville coach honored with two prestigious awards
NASHVILLE, Ark.—People who succeed have momentum; the more they succeed, the more they find ways to succeed.
Nashville head baseball coach Kyle Slayton is one of the most successful coaches in the state of Arkansas. In the past two years at the Scrappers’ helm, he has guided the teams to two state baseball championships and a combined 60-12 record.
Slayton’s efforts were rewarded when he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association Diamond District 6 Regional Coach of the Year and, more prodigiously, the High School Division II National Coach of the Year. It was Slayton’s second consecutive year in being named the District 6 Regional Coach of the Year.
“When I got the phone call about being the district coach of the year, I was overwhelmed,” Slayton said. “I went to the ABCA Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year banquet in Indianapolis last year and that was neat. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be District 6 Coach of the Year again. I won these awards because of the opportunity I’ve had to coach great kids and great teams. It’s just awesome.”
There are a mere 11 coaches in the United States that earn the coveted National Coach of the Year award. District 6 consists of coaches from Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
“To think of how many great coaches and teams that there are in those five states, it is unbelievable that I was picked out of the field in that district,” he said. “I was humbled to find out that I was one of the 11 coaches chosen as National Coach of the Year. When they called me and told me, I was like, ‘ Wow’.”
Slayton has been involved in coaching for 21 years and got his first experience at Fouke High School.
“Baseball has always been my love,” Slayton said. “I enjoy coaching foot-
ball as much as I do baseball, but I played college baseball. The love of the game has been my passion, and it’s always been part of my life. I enjoy being around the kids and seeing the enjoyment on their faces. I am in this profession for the kids.”
The standout Nashville coach has won four state baseball championships and four state football titles so far as a head coach throughout his 21-year career.
After winning the 2017 state baseball championship, Slayton had to replace seven senior starters to form the Scrappers’ 2018 squad. Despite the major changes to the team, he still guided Nashville to back-toback titles when the Scrappers shut out Shiloh Christian, 4-0, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., on May 19.
“It’s been a good journey so far,” Slayton said.