KANSAS, Okla. -- It has happened only twice over the past three decades or so: Kansas Public Schools has hired a new head football coach.
Steven Dale Patterson -- who was an assistant coach at Northeastern Oklahoma University in Tahlequah -- has been named to replace Eddie Barnwell, who after 30 years of service to the educational community, has decided to retire at the end of this school year.
On Thursday of this past week, Patterson took the opportunity to tour the Kansas campus and meet some of the students and staff.
"I'm excited and grateful for this opportunity," Patterson said. "When I heard about this opening I got in touch with Phil (Isom, current KHS principal and former Comets coach) and sent him my resume. I've been really impressed with the staff here and I'm looking forward to working with them."
Patterson graduated from Miami (Okla.) High School and made no apologies in his desire to move back to the area.
"I've always been a Northeastern Oklahoma kind of guy," he said. "I love the lakes, the rivers, pretty much everything about this whole area. I grew up around this part of the state. I've been going to the Illinois River for as long as I can remember and my dad (Dale Patterson) is at NEO A&M, so I'm glad to be back."
When asked about his plans for next season's Comets, he noted that there's still a lot of groundwork to do in terms of evaluation of player skills, in addition to team strengths and weaknesses.
"I've always been pretty much primarily on the defensive side of the ball, but a good defensive coach knows about offense," he said. "As for now I'm looking at a multiple set scheme, with both two-back and one-back sets. But I can tell you that I plan on stressing the fact that in order to win games you've got to successfully run the ball and you've got to be able to stop the run on defense.
"Obviously, you can't just lineup and run the football every down and you can't pass it every down, but to be successful you've got to be physical every down."
In addition to his duties as football coach, Patterson will also serve as the school's athletics director.
"Being AD is probably one of the biggest enticements for me," he said. "I don't want our kids to just play football. I want them to compete in everything they possibly can. I just don't think in this day and age you can teach kids to compete enough. After all, when they leave here, that's what the world is -- competition, in the job market and life in general. There are just too many things vying for their attention like video games. Whereas we used to go outside and play, kids today can just go to the couch and pickup a controller."
Before spending time coaching at the collegiate level as co-defensive coordinator at NSU, Patterson was assistant head coach at the University of Central Oklahoma and defensive coordinator at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He also served on the staffs at Claremore and Wilburton high schools. He has two children -- a daughter, Jordan, and a son, Andrew.
Sports on 04/23/2014