FAYETTEVILLE -- As former Fayetteville football coach Daryl Patton addressed his team Thursday, the highly successful coach had to fight back emotion, several players in the meeting said.
The players, all speaking on condition of anonymity, said Patton was visibly shaken as he told the team he was stepping down as their coach "for personal and family reasons."
Patton told the team this was the most difficult decision he'd ever made, comparing it to his leaving his hometown of Bryant to take the coaching position in Fayetteville in 2003. Patton told the team, "this is a thousand times harder than that."
Fayetteville school superintendent Dr. Paul Hewitt accepted Patton's resignation and said the coach was not forced to resign.
"This definitely was not forced in any way, shape or form," Hewitt said. "I did not ask for his resignation. He voluntarily gave it to me.
"That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, because I really liked that guy."
The school district has not released any details as to what led to the sudden resignation of one of the state's most successful high school coaches over the past decade. Since 2007, the Purple'Dogs have won four state championships, including last season. The Purple'Dogs are in the middle of spring football practices with the annual Purple-White game scheduled for next Friday.
The players confirmed that Patton told them "he'd made a mistake and was paying dearly for it."
The players said Patton also talked about a card he issued to team members that read "Think before you do it."
He didn't do that, he said.
The players added that Patton told the team he did not feel like he could hold them to the highest standards if he couldn't hold himself to those same standards.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette left several messages and texts with Patton, which have not been returned.
On Friday, Fayetteville Athletic Director Steve Janski said the district would form a search committee to find a new coach.
"We are putting together a great committee of parents, former players, and administrators to find the right person to lead the Bulldogs in the 2016 season," Janski said in a news release.
Hewitt was also in attendance at Thursday's team meeting.
"He met with his coaches, and then he met with his players," Hewitt said. "It was a very emotional meeting. He admitted he made a mistake and that he needed to focus on family."
Hewitt said the school conducted an investigation of Patton and said that the investigation is now concluded and does not include any criminal allegations.
"The investigation is over, but sometimes new things do pop up," Hewitt said. "I've been looking into this for a several days."
Patton, who was paid $80,766 as the head coach, came to Fayetteville as head coach from Bryant in 2003 and compiled a 116-43-2 overall record. He guided Fayetteville to a level of success far surpassing any stretch prior to his arrival. The Purple'Dogs won Class 7A state championships in 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2015 under Patton and were state runner-up in 2010 and 2014.
Offensive coordinator Benji Mahan has been named interim coach for the remainder of the school year.
On Friday, another Fayetteville football coach, defensive tackles assistant Lucius 'Trey' Selmon, resigned from his position with the Fayetteville School District.
Sports on 05/14/2016