GARLAND COUNTY-FOOTBALL
First-year leaders Reed, Burk, Counce restart proud programs
The coaching carousel was in full swing in Garland County this offseason as Lake Hamilton, Jessieville and Mountain Pine each hired new football coaches. Each coach brings a new vision with the same goal of returning their respective schools to their winning ways.
At Lake Hamilton, Jeremy Reed has experience with taking on a new challenge after three different coaching jobs in Oklahoma. Reed succeeds longtime coach Jerry Clay after leading Altus to a 21-4 record in two seasons, including the school’s first state title in 44 years last season.
“I think every situation is unique in its own way, but there’s also a lot of similarities when you go to a new place,” Reed said. “This being my third job in this type of role of trying to rebuild something that was once really good, the experience that I have from that is really big.”
Having never coached or even lived in the state of Arkansas, Reed brings an outside touch to a program that hasn’t had one for almost 30 years.
“Overall, I think it helps things for me to bring that outsider perspective here after so many years of things being the same,” said Reed. “It’s all about how a person looks
at it. Change is difficult. Everybody wants it, but it’s difficult to accept when it happens.”
Even while going through the process of replacing him as head coach, Reed took the time to develop a relationship with Clay before he attempts to fill his large shoes.
“In this situation, knowing coach Clay as a person and not so much as a football coach lets me know how people know him and how he ran things when he was here,” Reed said. “I just think it’s good for people in general to build relationships. That’s what life is all about.”
Reed has also strived to build a bond with his players, many of whom have only ever played for Clay.
“That’s a very important piece of what we’re trying to do here,” Reed said. “There’s no doubt that it’s a process because no two people are alike, whether it’s coaches or players. We’ve got to identify and establish our own relationships with coaches, players and community.”
At Jessieville, the Lions are also preparing for life without a legendary figure in Don Phillips, former Lakeside assistant T.J. Burk set to take over for his old head coach.
Burk quarterbacked the 2006 state champion Lions and later played receiver at Arkansas State before beginning his coaching career as an assistant under Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Famer Eddie Jackson at Genoa Central.
Burk credited both Jackson and Lakeside head coach Jared McBride for preparing him to be a head coach.
“They just told me to stick to my philosophy and don’t try to be somebody that I’m not,” Burk said. “I learned a lot from those guys as far as how to run a program and how to be successful. Coach Jackson knows a thing or two about how to be successful after winning multiple state championships and with coach McBride turning Lakeside around, he showed me what it takes to run a program.”
Returning to Jessieville where he excelled as an all-state athlete in multiple sports was something that Burk had always envisioned when he started his coaching career.
“It’s kind of always been my dream job,” he said. “Obviously I didn’t know it would be in a head coaching position, but this has always been home to me and I always looked at it as a place that I could come back to.”
After playing under the man he’s tasked with replacing, Burk feels more equipped to handle the pressure than an outsider would be.
“Having played quarterback under coach Phillips and knowing the expectations he had, there was always pressure on me, so I’m used to that,” Burk said. “Also having played in college and in front of a lot of people at times, I think that has better prepared me for the pressure.”
Burk said he’s been in contact with Phillips on a regular basis since taking the job and considers him a mentor.
“I’ve probably talked to him more than any incoming coach ever has with the previous head coach,” Burk said. “Obviously we have a closer relationship than most people would with the previous head coach. I can’t tell you how much he’s helped me with everything from scheduling scrimmages to asking him where stuff is at in the field house. I’m in contact with him pretty regularly.”
While Jessieville and Lake Hamilton are introducing new coaches for the first time in decades, Mountain Pine has become a revolving door in recent years. Former Little Rock Hall assistant Sam Counce replaces David Jordan as the third head coach in three seasons for the Red Devils.
Even with heavy rebuilding in front of him to restore a program that’s won just one game over the last four seasons, Counce is up for the challenge and plans on sticking around for the long haul.
“I hope so and that’s my plan,” Counce said. “I’ve got a lot of good kids that work hard. Our numbers are low and I think a lot of that has to do with the coaching changes over the last few years. With me coming in here to be a stabilizer, I think we’ll be able to get those numbers back up and get kids excited about playing football at Mountain Pine again.”
A former football player under legendary coach Harold Horton at Central Arkansas, Counce’s coaching career has included stops at Greenbrier, DeWitt and Benton. After stepping away from the game to work on the family farm, Counce returned to coaching as an assistant at Hall for the past three seasons and immediately became interested when he heard about the Mountain Pine opening.
“I knew there was a lot of good football in this area, with Mountain Pine being one of the schools that played good, strong football,” Counce said. “When the job came open, I pursued it and I feel very fortunate to be given the opportunity to lead these young men.”
Counce admitted that it took some time for the players to adapt to another new coach, but he expects the bond to develop over the course of the season.
“I think they’re a little skeptical about the direction of the program because of where it’s been and what’s going on,” Counce said. “But I think once they’ve gotten around the program again and see that all of us are on the same page about what we want to do here, I think that means a lot to the kids.”
With Lake Hamilton, Jessieville and Mountain Pine all coming off losing seasons, each of the new coaches will be aided by tempered expectations to begin their tenures. Burk and Counce face each other to open the season at Phillips Field on Sept. 2 while Reed and the Wolves travel to Hot Springs to face the Trojans on the same day.