The Jacksonville North Pulaski School District has its first full-time athletic director.
Scott Waymire, 41, was hired as the athletic director for the district, which is entering its third year away from the Pulaski County Special School District. Waymire was the head football coach and athletic director for the Trumann School District in northeast Arkansas.
“I think this is a great opportunity,” Waymire said.
Tiffany Bone, assistant superintendent at the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, said the school decided that since Jacksonville is growing so much, it needs a full-time athletic director.
“We needed more time and resources devoted to the development, coordination and management of the athletics program,” she said.
Jerry Wilson was serving the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District as its athletic director while also teaching classes. Bone said Wilson will continue to have a role in the district.
“The role Coach Wilson played in our athletics program over the past two years was a very important one,” Bone said. “He was, and still is, very much appreciated for his contributions and dedication to the athletics program and the district.”
Waymire is no stranger to central Arkansas. He was an assistant coach and teacher at Vilonia for two years, then served as head football coach and athletic director at Carlisle High School for seven years before spending the past five years at Trumann.
“We enjoyed central Arkansas,” Waymire said. “We spent nine years there between Vilonia and Carlisle. We were looking for an opportunity to come back to central Arkansas. Jacksonville has its own school district. There are a lot of exciting things going on right now. They are moving into a new elementary school this year and a new high school next year with all new athletic facilities. I thought it was a real intriguing opportunity. It’s just something that I’m excited about.”
Waymire’s wife, Michelle, who was the principal at Trumann High School, was recently hired as an assistant principal at Bryant High School. With him getting the job at Jacksonville, Waymire said, it will be better for their family.
“I think they have seven assistants at the high school,” Waymire said of Bryant. “I think it’s a great opportunity for her as well.
“I was looking at an opportunity. I’ve been a head football coach for 12 years. Sometimes fate happens. It kind of came into play and gave me another opportunity other than coaching.
“It will be a little different, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Bone said she is impressed with Waymire and his reputation.
“There were many things about Coach Waymire that interested us, including, but not limited to, his qualifications and experience,” she said. “Coach Waymire’s stellar reputation is indisputable. He has a proven record of leadership, both on and off the field. By all accounts, Coach Waymire is a visionary leader who is as passionate about education as he is about sports.
“He understands the meaning of the term ‘scholar athlete’ and has spent his career making sure the students in his athletic programs excel in more than just sports. His passion for athletics comes across in every conversation, and his strong work ethic is already evident as he continues to fulfill his obligations at Trumann while getting a head start on putting his vision in action at JNPSD. I have no doubt that he will excel in this role.”
Waymire said Jacksonville’s rich athletic tradition is one of the reasons the job was interesting to him.
“Jacksonville has always had a tradition-rich program in all sports — basketball, football and baseball,” he said. “The possibilities are there. The potential is there to be a goldmine, not just the basketball team but for having a strong athletic department.”
Waymire is a 1995 graduate of Parkin High School. He graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro with his bachelor’s degree in December 1998.
Following graduation, he worked for a semester at Mississippi County Christian Academy in Dell before serving as an assistant coach at Pocahontas for five years. Then Waymire moved to central Arkansas.
During his seven years at Carlisle, Waymire’s teams won 71 games, four conference championships and a state runner-up finish in 2011.
At Trumann, Waymire turned around a dormant program, winning 27 games in five years, including a 9-2 record last season. He also won seven games in both 2015 and 2016.
While at Carlisle, Waymire also served as a dean of students at the high school and was Carlisle High School principal during the 2012-13 school year, his last at Carlisle.
“I think just to be able to wear all those hats that I’ve worn, it’s a good thing,” he said. “Principals, athletic directors and coaches have all got to work together and do what’s best for the students. I think my experience in that role as a principal can help the athletic program, and hopefully, our principals can help us as well.”
Waymire said he will miss coaching but will enjoy still being around it.
“I think for any coach, you’re always going to miss that,” he said. “Not really the Friday nights, but the preparation is what I’ll miss — that Saturday and Sunday, then Monday through Thursday. It will be a little different. I’ll still be around it, and I’ll still see our head coaches and our assistant coaches doing those things. And I’ll get to see some things that I’ve not been able to see, such as volleyball games and stuff like that.
“It will be different, but I’ll still be around it. I’m not completely getting away from it, just that preparation side.”
The Waymires have three children, son Chandler Weitkamp, who just graduated from Trumann; daughter Makenzie Waymire, who will be in the ninth grade; and son Bryson Waymire, who will be in the fifth grade.
Staff writer Mark Buffalo can be reached at (501) 399-3676 or mbuffalo@arkansasonline.com.