ROGERS -- Mike Loyd and Tony Travis have shown the ability to build successful programs during their football coaching careers.
Both will get the chance to do that in Arkansas' largest classification.
The Rogers School Board approved the hiring of Loyd as the football coach at Rogers High and Travis at Rogers Heritage at their meeting Thursday night.
Loyd, 59, spent the past two seasons at Grove, Okla., but has 30 years of head coaching experience at the high school and collegiate level. Travis, 44, has been the coach at Pea Ridge for seven seasons and guided the Blackhawks to 10 or more wins in three of the last four seasons, including a run to the Class 4A semifinals this past fall.
Mark Holderbaum, athletic director for Rogers Public Schools, said there were between 40 and 45 official applicants for the two positions and as many as 80 inquiries from across the country. Nine candidates were brought in for interviews, he said.
"We had a very strong field, first and foremost, but the two really stood out, not only in the interview, but with their body of work and their experiences," Holderbaum said.
Loyd replaces Shawn Flannigan, who resigned in December after six years at Rogers. Flannigan went 18-44 with the Mounties. Travis replaces Perry Escalante, who had been the Heritage coach since the school opened in 2008. Escalante resigned following an 0-10 finish this season.
Loyd will make $83,091 under his contract, and Travis' salary will be $80,910.
Loyd enjoyed success as a college football coach, leading Northeastern (Okla.) A&M (NEO) to a junior college national championship in 1991 and going 44-7 in five seasons there. He also helped start a high school program in Ponte Vedra, Fla., guiding that team to a pair of district titles. He also played six years of professional football as a quarterback in the NFL, CFL and USFL.
Loyd grew up in Joplin, Mo., and played for former Rogers coach Charlie Cooper in Joplin. He is looking forward to coming to Northwest Arkansas and doesn't mind a challenge.
"I've been blessed to play for some great coaches and coach some great players," Loyd said. "I have a son, who is an eighth-grader, and a daughter that's a sophomore. It's a great place to live, and we're looking forward to it.
"I know it's a challenge. There's great football in the 7A-West, but they said we couldn't win at NEO. And they said we couldn't win with beach kids at Ponte Vedra. I've taken on challenges before, and I'm looking forward to this one."
Travis, who served as an assistant at Fayetteville prior to his taking the job at Pea Ridge, said being a head coach in the 7A-West piqued his interest.
"The 7A-West is the highest classification you can reach in high school football in the state," Travis said. "It's definitely intriguing."
Travis has guided a program at Pea Ridge that's grown exponentially in seven seasons. His first team had just 27 players, but the current spring roster has 95. He also oversaw a dramatic improvement in facilities with an indoor workout center and a state-of-the-art football stadium. He admitted the decision to leave was not easy.
"It's been a little bit of a whirlwind, especially the last few days," Travis said. "It's been a lot of fun, even the years where the record might not have been what you wanted. We had great community support, and the kids worked hard and believed in what we were doing.
"It was a difficult decision to make, but I'm excited about the opportunity."
Sports on 02/05/2016