BENTONVILLE — Julie Rowan moved to Arkansas two years ago with a desire to find a more competitive environment when it came to high school volleyball.
After two years with ninth-grade teams, she gets that opportunity. Rowan was chosen to be Bentonville West’s first head volleyball coach during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
“This opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime,” she said. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to start a new program, and I’m looking forward to getting everybody involved, including the parents.”
Rowan had coached for 10 years at Southwestern Heights, a Class 3A school located in Kismet, Kan., before she felt the need to try something different in the sport. That’s when she met Fayetteville coach Jessica Phelan during a camp at Nebraska.
She moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2014, where she became the volleyball coach at Fayetteville Woodland. When Fayetteville’s ninth-graders were moved to the high school, Rowan became Fayetteville White’s coach and helped out with the high school team.
“Jessica was able to give me some good, new ideas,” Rowan said. “The two years with her have been great, and I’ve been able to expand my abilities.”
Rowan was one of several Bentonville West coaches whose hirings were approved during Tuesday’s meeting, but she was the only one that came from outside the school district. The others will transfer to the new school, whose campus opens in August, after serving in some capacity as assistants at Bentonville High.
“I’m really excited about this group,” athletic director Scott Passmore said. “Many of these coaches have been here a while and have proven to be worthy candidates as high school coaches. This will be a chance for them to showcase their talents and help build successful programs at Bentonville West.
“(West principal) Jonathon Guthrie has worked hard with me on these spots. I will count on him to continue working with me in finding other coaches.”
Those hirings include:
• Amber Allison, freshman volleyball — Allison has been the head volleyball coach for Bentonville Black’s ninth-grade team the past two years. Rob Barnes, the Bentonville Gold coach last year, will be Bentonville’s ninth-grade coach.
• Dave Anderson, boys cross country and track — Anderson has served as an assistant on Bentonville’s boys track team.
• Eddie Barnwell, assistant varsity football — Barnwell has been teaching at Ardis Ann Middle School and helped with Bentonville Gold team last season. A former high school coach and mentor to West head coach Bryan Pratt, he will be the Wolverines’ offensive linemen.
• Todd Boddie, girls cross country and track — Boddie has served as assistant coach for both Bentonville track teams.
• Casey Dick, assistant varsity football — Dick, the former Arkansas quarterback, was on the Bentonville Gold ninth-grade staff and has been named the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator by Pratt. Dick will also coach quarterbacks.
• Dale Jones, freshman football head coach — Jones was hired Feb. 1 to work with deans at Bentonville High. He was a former offensive coordinator at Bryant and a former defensive coordinator the past two seasons at Mayflower.
• Tye Killingsworth, freshman football assistant — Killingsworth has been an assistant the past three years with Bentonville Gold.
• John Marshall, head boys soccer — Marshall will serve as the Bentonville girls assistant coach this spring and is a former Springdale Har-Ber head coach.
• Randy Richardson, head girls basketball — Richardson is currently in his 10th season as an assistant coach with Bentonville’s girls basketball team.
• Aaron Wise, head wrestling — Wise has served as an assistant on Bentonville’s wrestling team.
• Harry Wright, assistant varsity football — Wright helped with Bentonville Gold and Fulbright Junior High last year and served as an assistant for Pratt at McAlester, Okla., for one season. He will serve as the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator.
• Curt Yarrington, boys and girls golf — It will be a change of sports for Yarrington, who is currently an assistant coach on Bentonvile’s baseball team.