FAYETTEVILLE — Steve Janski, who has spent the last nine years as head football coach at Heber Springs High School, has been selected as the new athletics director at Fayetteville High School.

The Fayetteville school board approved Janski at a meeting Thursday. He was one of three finalists to interview for the position.

"This is the most prestigious school in the state of Arkansas, and it's an honor to become a part of that," Janski told the school board.

Janski replaces Barry Gebhart, who resigned in October after being arrested and charged with one count of felony Internet stalking of a child. Gebhart, a former boys basketball coach at FHS, had served as the school's athletics director since 2009 with an annual salary of $101,917.72.

Janski went 63-41 as head coach at Heber Springs, where he also served as the school's athletics director. He was previously an assistant coach at East Carolina University, working as the school's tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. From 2000 to 2003 Janski was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Arkansas.

Janski is a 1993 graduate of the University of Central Arkansas and 1999 graduate of the University of Arkansas. He is scheduled to complete a masters degree at Arkansas State University next spring.

Vernon Tarver and Matt Jones contributed to this report