Assistant coach Pruitt resigns

Pruitt
Pruitt

The Siloam Springs football program will be looking for a new assistant football coach.

Varsity linebackers coach and ninth-grade defensive coordinator Zach Pruitt submitted his resignation as teacher and coach on April 7 and it was approved by the Siloam Springs School Board at its most recent meeting on Thursday, April 14.

Pruitt, who's been at Siloam Springs since 2012, is going into the insurance business along with his dad, Tim Pruitt, who works at State Farm in Springdale.

"I appreciate everything that everybody's done for me around here," Pruitt said. "I've had a blast and I love football. It's just time for a change. You coach football and you sacrifice time for your family. You sacrifice time for certain lifestyles."

Pruitt and his wife have a 5-year-old daughter and plan on expanding their family soon, he said.

Siloam Springs head coach Bryan Ross was very complimentary of Pruitt's work with the varsity and ninth-grade teams.

"He's done a great job for us," Ross said. "We're going to hate to lose him, but he's got to do what he thinks is best for himself and his family. So we wish him nothing but good luck. Now we'll have to go out and find the best coach that we absolutely can."

The Panthers will have a little flexibility in their next coaching hire. Several of the coaches currently on staff have coached different positions and are able to shift to new positions if needed.

"We've got an experienced staff," Ross said. "A lot of it will come down to what the teaching field is. This day and time, it's not enough to just be a coach. You've got to fit into a certain teaching certification. We're not in any hurry with that."

Pruitt will continue to coach through spring football, which begins next Tuesday.

"Coach Pruitt's going to be with us through spring ball and will continue to do a good job for our kids and our program, and we appreciate that," Ross said. "He said he wouldn't leave us hanging. He understands the situation. That just shows you what kind of person and what kind of coach he is. Like I said, he's done nothing but been very good for us."

Sports on 04/20/2016