Cook ready to lead football team

PEA RIDGE — Athletic director and former head coach Tony Travis definitely turned some heads back in the spring when he promoted his offensive line coach to head coach.

Not that Brey Cook was an unknown to anybody, having been a standout offensive lineman at Springdale HarBer and Arkansas before entering coaching and then being the Blackhawks’ offensive line coach in 2020.

“Brey has a vision for the future of the football program,” Travis said. “He has a strong work ethic and is a relationship builder. As our school and football program grows into the 5A classification, we are excited about his leadership and character.”

Cook will lean on an impressive coaching staff that has both experience and a winning pedigree.

“We have a solid group of coaches on the football staff,” Travis said. “They are the types of individuals I would want my child to be around on a daily basis.”

“Under Coach Cook’s leadership and the mentoring of the staff, our players will not only learn football and athletic development, they will also develop characteristics like toughness , strong character, selflessness and a ‘team first’ attitude that will benefit them in all stages of their lives.”

Jon Vaughn, who is now a physical therapist in Northwest Arkansas, played quarterback for Har- Ber when Cook was a junior and senior, while Vaughn was a class behind him.

The Wildcats won a 7A state championship and went to the quarterfinals the two years they played together.

“On the field Brey was very positive; he was always the positive voice and encourager on the sideline and in the huddle,” Vaughn said. “Even when we were down or losing, which was rare for us back then, he was still giving off that energy.”

Vaughn was the son of a since-retired football and basketball coach, so he had been around the coaching profession his whole life.

“He was the leader of our offensive line and one of the

“Brey has a vision for the future of the football program. He has a strong work ethic and is a relationship builder.”

— Tony Travis, athletic director

leaders of our team,” Vaughn said. “He was one of the voices everyone looked to, and the rest of the guys followed him on and off the field. He hosted a lot of stuff for the other linemen at his house, meals and hang-outs, etc.”

Although Vaughn hasn’t kept up with Cook since high school, he thinks he will be exactly the kind of coach, of which the community of Pea Ridge can be proud.

“With his positive and encouraging attitude, that will go a long way, especially at the high school level,” Vaughn said. “It helps develop a good team culture. Those leadership qualities will allow players to trust him and be willing to work for him and buy into his program.”

Cook