GENTRY -- School board members approved on Monday a committee recommendation to hire Paul Ernest as Gentry High School's new football coach.
Ernest is currently in his fifth year at Nashville High School, where he is offensive coordinator for the football team there and teaches a test preparation course to prepare students for standardized testing. Prior to that, Ernest taught nine years at Horatio High School and served there as head football coach.
He recalled facing Gentry in the playoffs at Nashville a few years back. The players and fans made a good impression, Ernest said.
"It seemed like the visitors' side was just as packed, if not more than the home side," Ernest said. "That was my first experience with Gentry. They traveled well, and I thought the kids played hard, showed some class and character.
"I felt like this was an opportunity to do some good things. I'm excited about the chance to be a head coach again. I turned down some jobs that didn't feel right. I believe this is a good fit for me and my family. We are excited about it."
Ernest's wife is Jennifer, and they have four boys, ages 16, 12, 8 and 6
Ernest was also told Gentry had upgraded its field house recently. That was an understatement. He loved seeing the 43,000-square-foot Pioneer Activities Center, which was opened in late 2013.
"When I walked in there, there's just a commitment level that doesn't happen everywhere," Ernest said.
Ernest, who also serves as the softball coach at Nashville, isn't sure when he will be able to transition to his new job at Gentry. He wants to make sure his obligations at Nashville are met.
"We're trying to figure out the fastest way to get me up there right now," Ernest said.
Ernest graduated from Horatio High School in 1991. He received his bachelor's degree in education, specializing in physical education and health, from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, in 2000. He received certification and training in driver's education from Ouachita Baptist University in 2008. He earned a master's degree in education from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 2012, with certification in educational leadership and curriculum.
According to the Nashville High School website, Ernest's professional development certifications include: heat illness prevention, concussion training, AAA softball clinic, AAA football clinic, parental involvement, fundamentals and safety protocol, strategies for safety protocol, fundamentals proper tackling, safety in practice planning, water and fluid intake, nourishing kids with discipline, communicating with kids on and off the field, goal setting for coaches, goal setting for teams, goal setting for players, Hudl technology training, Gabbart instruction, bus certification work shop and proactive coaching.
Ernest married Jennifer Blankenship in July of 1997 and has been married for 17 years. He and his wife have four sons, Jake, Luke, Sam and Ben. His oldest son Jake attends school at Nashville; the three youngest attend school in the Horatio district where their mother is currently employed, teaching business technology in the high school.
According to the Horatio High School website, Jennifer Ernest has a master's degree in library media and instructional technology from the University of Central Arkansas in 2007, a bachelor's degree in public administration from Henderson State University in 1999, and was the Horatio High School valedictorian in 1993.
According to Larry Cozens, Gentry Middle School principal and chairman of the committee -- with representatives from the administration, teachers and coaches, parents, school board and the community -- which reviewed coaching applicants, the special committee reviewed 38 applicants and interviewed seven before arriving at the decision to recommend Ernest.
Cozens said the decision to recommend Ernest was obvious after their interviews. He said the committee thought Ernest was a good fit for Gentry.
The hiring has not changed the posts of other Gentry football coaches, and they are expected to continue in their current positions, according to Cozens.
Paul Boyd contributed to this article.
General News on 02/25/2015