Sources: Fayetteville to hire ex-Tulsa coach to lead football team

Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship congratulates quarterback Dane Evans after Evans scored a touchdown during the second quarter of a college football game against Colorado State Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship congratulates quarterback Dane Evans after Evans scored a touchdown during the second quarter of a college football game against Colorado State Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Sources close to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Bill Blankenship is expected to be named the new head football coach at Fayetteville High School, pending school board approval.

Blankenship, 59, coached at the University of Tulsa in 2011-2014 and at Union High School, also in Tulsa, in 1992-2005.

Fayetteville will hold a 5 p.m. emergency school board meeting Wednesday.

Blankenship won three Oklahoma Class 6A state championships at Union (2002, 2004, 2005) before resigning after the 2005 season. He was an assistant at Tulsa in 2007-2010 before being promoted to head coach.

Blankenship went 24-27 at Tulsa and 154-26 at Union. He's 205-68 in his high school coaching career, which spans 22 seasons.

Daryl Patton, who led Fayetteville to four Class 7A state championships (2007, 2011, 2012, 2015) in 13 seasons, resigned May 12, citing personal reasons. He was hired at Bauxite on May 26.

Fayetteville Athletic Director Steve Janski could not be reached for comment.

Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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