Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Thompson Takes Over As Athletic Director
FARMINGTON — New Farmington athletic director Beau Thompson takes office July 1 with an array of education and experience beyond serving as the Cardinals’ head boys basketball coach for the last 15 years.
Thompson was hired following a 45 minute executive session by the Farmington School Board during a special meeting June 16.
“I’m excited to step into this new role where I can not only help basketball but really run around helping our athletics out, which Coach [ Brad] Blew has always done,” Thompson said, referring to his predecessor who retired Jan. 31.
“We need to continue to build soccer, tennis, things like that. Obviously, our football program and I’ll have to have a lot of hats and a lot of help and I’ll lean on the people that are here.”
Thompson expressed appreciation to new superintendent Jon Paul Laffoon and former superintendent Bryan Law for trusting him to do this job.
He has served as a member of the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Executive Committee since 2009; and as the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association Committee- 5A Representative since 2017.
Stellar athlete
Thompson was named to Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 with recognition for an outstanding high school career at Huntsville where he graduated with high honors after earning All- State, All-Region, and All District honors in basketba l l , All-District honors in football and baseball. Thompson played on Huntsville’s 1995 Class 2A state championship baseball team and was a 3-year letterman in three sports, football, baseball, and basketball. He was recipient of the Buck Vaughn Memorial Athletic Scholarship and named Huntsville High School’s Outstanding Eagle in 1995.
education
Thompson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education Summa Cum Laude ( 3.89) from Arkansas Tech University in 1999 while earning four basketball letters and redshirting one season. He was a member of Tech’s Southwest Regional champions in 1996 and one of only 5 chosen for the Gulf-South All- Academic Team for athletic and academic excellence 1999-2000. Thompson made the Gulf South Honor Role five years, 1996-2000, and was on the Deans List every semester in college.
He followed that up with a Masters in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State in 2014. He also earned a Texas Superintendent Certification from Texas A&M University Texarkana in 2015.
Qualifications
Thompson’s qualifications include: Teaching Licensure (Arkansas) for Health and Physical Education K-12, Health, and Middle School Social Studies with a Coaching Endorsement and Building Principal. He also has a Teaching Licensure for Texas and a Class B CDL- Passenger Endorsement.
coaching history
Thompson began his coaching career at Berryville High School and Junior High from 2000-2001. He started out coaching girls basketball as head junior high coach and assistant senior high coach while also working with the Bobcat football and baseball programs as an assistant coach.
From there, Thompson’s coaching career shifted to his native Huntsville working at both the high school and junior high levels from 20012003. His first head coaching position at the varsity level was head softball coach for the Lady Eagles. He also served as head junior high and seventh grade boy’s basketball coach, assistant senior high boy’s basketball coach, assistant senior high football coach. His junior high basketball team went 35-13 and captured a 3A-1 East undefeated conference championship.
Thompson coached at Elkins High School and Elkins Junior High from 2003-2006 in various capacities. He was boys head basketball coach for both senior high and junior high, plus seventh grade, assistant senior high football coach in the role of defensive coordinator, and assistant baseball coach. Thompson’s senior high record at Elkins was 40-41 with the Elks qualifying for the 2A-1 Regional twice in 2004 and 2005 and finishing as 2A-1 Conference Runner-Up in 2004 while winning the Bi-County Tournament in 2003.
At the junior high basketball level, Thompson’s record at Elkins was 50-20 winning both 2A-1 Conference and Tournament championships in 2004, and a Bi- County Tournament in 2003.
farmington Success
Thompson’s 20-year overall combined high school coaching record at Elkins and Farmington stands at 301-190. He served as Farmington head boys basketball coach from 2006-2020 achieving an overall record of 258- 146 winning 4A-1 Conference championships six times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019), one district title in 2013, one 4A North Regional tournament championship (2010), and twice guiding Farmington into state semifinal appearances in 2010 and 2011.
The Cardinals qualified for Regionals eight times with Thompson as head coach and won eight other tournaments including the Bi- County ( 2008, 2009, 2010), H.B. Stewart Greenwood Classic (2008, 2009, 2010), Greenland Tournament (2014, and Alma Tournament (2015).
Thompson was named 4A- 1 Coach- of- the-Year twice during 2011 and 2014 at Farmington. The Arkansas High School Coaches Association named him head All-Star boys basketball coach for the West two times in 2010, and 2019 and an AHSCA All-Star assistant basketball coach in 2009. He was nominated for the honor five times.
Vision
Thompson’s stated goal as athletic director expressed in application for the position maintains a simple focus:
“To CONTINUE building an athletic program that will allow Farmington Schools to compete with ANY school in Northwest Arkansas for prospective families and will also continue to enhance the educational opportunities of the students and families within our district.”
“All we can do is every decision we make will be the best for our kids and after that everything will fall into place,” Thompson said.
D i s t r i c t Hum an Re s o u r ce s m a n a ge r Michelle Beeks said she hadn’t calculated what Thompson’s salary will be as athletic director Monday.
“It’s based on their years of experience and where they are on their education,” Beeks said when reached by phone Monday.
The stipend for athletic director is $4,000, a $1,000 increase from what Thompson received as head boys basketball coach. Beeks noted he is going from a 245 day- employee to a 240- day scale as athletic director. Johnny Taylor, who previously coached at Star City was hired to replace Thompson as head boys basketball coach June 22.