FAYETTEVILLE — Former University of Tulsa head football coach Bill Blankenship has officially been hired as the next head football coach at Fayetteville. Blankenship’s hire at Fayetteville was approved during a special school board meeting held Wednesday evening.
“We are excited to welcome an outstanding football coach and proven leader to Fayetteville,” said incoming superintendent Dr. Matthew Wendt. “We’re confident that Coach Blankenship’s outstanding record and vast coaching experience will blend very well with the history and tradition of the Purple Dogs.”
Blankenship, 59, was head coach at Tulsa from 2011 to 2014, where he compiled a 24-27 overall record, including an 11-3 record in 2012.
He became a household name in high school coaching in Oklahoma during his time at Tulsa Union from 1992-2005, where he won Class 6A state championships in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and compiled a 56-game home win streak between 1997-2005.
Blankenship, who earned a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Tulsa in 1979 and a master’s in education from Northeastern State University in 1985, was 154-26 in his Tulsa Union career and also coached at Tulsa Eastwood Baptist, Spiro (Okla.), Edmond (Okla.) Memorial and was as assistant at Tulsa from 2007-10 before being elevated to head coach.
Blankenship spent the 2015 football season as offensive analyst and Special Teams coordinator on the staff at Memphis.
“I am honored and consider myself to be incredibly blessed to be entrusted with the ongoing stewardship of the Fayetteville football program,” said Blankenship. “Angie and I are convinced that we are joining the “flagship” high school program, school, and community in the state of Arkansas. We intend to jump in with both feet and work as hard as we can to earn the trust of our Purple Dog players, coaches, staff, and community.”
Daryl Patton, former head coach, resigned May 12. Patton, who was hired May 26 as the head football coach at Bauxite, has since confirmed the resignation for "personal reasons" was due to an extramarital affair.
Benji Mahan, Fayetteville's offensive coordinator during the 2015 season, has served as the Fayetteville interim head coach since Patton's resignation.