Bolding steps down as White Hall coach
One week after its first state title game appearance since 1987, White Hall football is in the market for a new head coach.
Bobby Bolding resigned from his position as head football coach at White Hall High School on Monday, he confirmed to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
White Hall School District Superintendent Doug
Dorris first broke the news in an appearance on KDPX-FM, 101.3, in Pine Bluff on Friday morning.
Bolding will remain the school’s athletic director for now, but he is waiting on a decision from the district to determine if he will permanently stay on in that role. Bolding said a conversation with Dorris on Friday provided no update, but it’s Bolding’s preference to stay on as AD.
“It’s a big one here,” Bolding said. “And if that doesn’t work out, that’s OK. I understand. Schools have to do what they’ve got to do.”
Bolding’s decision to step down as coach had been “in the works” since January, he said. Dorris said on his radio appearance that the two began talking about a resignation as far back as the summer of 2020.
The decision stemmed from balancing his duties as both athletic director and head football coach, Bolding said.
“I just felt like I was neglecting one or the other every day,” said Bolding, 55. “It’s important to me that I do a good job for the people that I work for, and I just questioned whether I really was.”
In the past year, Bolding oversaw a re-turfing of the school’s football stadium, and the building of a new athletic facility that includes amenities for football and a majority of the school’s spring sports, including a 60-yard turf field, weight room and film room. Bolding also noted navigating the covid-19 pandemic and being his own offensive and special teams coordinator this season as added stressors.
Bolding was 27-13 in three seasons at White Hall, making the playoffs each season. The high point was this year’s Class 5A championship game against Pulaski Academy, which ended in a 51-19 loss.
This season was Bolding’s 24th as a head coach. He has compiled a 220-75-2 record during his career, with stops at Marked Tree, Stuttgart and Pine Bluff before coming to White Hall.
Bolding’s teams made playoff appearances in 23 of his 24 seasons. He’s also one of two head coaches in the state to take three schools to a state title game, joining current University of Central Florida Coach Gus Malzahn — who coached Hughes, Shiloh Christian and Springdale — in that feat this season. Bolding had previously coached Stuttgart and Pine Bluff to state championship games
Dorris said that multiple coaches have already reached out about the vacancy.