New football coach Swinton comes to FC to prove a point
As Forrest City's new head football coach, having just acquired that title last Thursday following a special called Forrest City School Board meeting, Reggie Swinton is ‘out to prove a point.'
Not just any point. His point, emblazoned across his pullover shirt said it all "Same, but Different."
It was a point made crystal clear to the Forrest City Mustang football players and his staff during afternoon meetings held Friday at Mustang Field House.
As a former professional football player, college coach, middle school coach and youth coach, Swinton brings with him the skill sets needed to return Forrest the City Mustang football program to prominence.
Three decades removed from his first venture into the high school coaching ranks, Swinton, a Little Rock native has now set his focus squarely set on turning around Forrest City's struggling football program, coming off back-to-back 1-9 seasons. Swinton, meeting the Mustang players for the first time Friday afternoon, began by telling the players and staff, it's the "same, but different."
"Same kids, same football field, same field house, same players, but it's all different," Swinton told the players.
For Swinton, who has never held the head coaching title at a high school, it is definitely all the same, but different.
Two of Swinton’s biggest life decisions involved moving east.
After assistant coaching positions at Little Rock Central and Southwest did not work out, Swinton had no choice but to start all over in looking to become a first-time head coach at the high school level.
Former Pine Bluff Dollarway and University of Arkansas football standout Carl Kidd, a friend of Swinton’s, initially recommended him to the Forrest City’s administration, one of almost 20 applicants for the Forrest City head football coaching position, Swinton was first contacted by Forrest City on March 29. He followed up and
applied for the position the following Tuesday, April 2. Three weeks later, Swinton was offered the position and following an interview with the Forrest City administration and verbally accepting Forrest City's offer and then being approved in a unanimous vote by the school board.
“I am where I am supposed to be here in Forrest City,” Swinton said adding he and his wife are already in the process of buying a home in Forrest City.
Swinton was not totally unfamiliar with the Mustangs football program, having watched the team play three games last season, Paragould, Wynne and Stuttgart.
His first reaction was simple to make.
"Forrest City has the football talent, I've seen it," Swinton said
Friday. "But what they lack is the discipline and not even close to being football shape."
Asking one of the players about their conditioning program last season, the answer by several of the players was the same. "We didn't have one."
"That changes now, Monday, "Swinton told the players. "This program can be a winning program and I'm not coming here to lose," Swinton continued. "I'm a winner and I will respect you as players and I will make you believers."
Swinton told the players that no one has a set position and added it didn't matter what position players had last season, "tagging that sentiment with "I really don't care about last year."
"Going forward, it is what you do today," Swinton continued.