Conway Wampus Cats football coach Keith Fimple is leaving the program after five years to become athletic director for the Springdale School District.
Fimple was hired earlier this week to return to a district where he previously worked as an assistant football coach before being hired at Conway.
“I’ve always been intrigued by the administration part of athletics,” Fimple said. “It just kind of matched up at the right time. I felt like it would be a good move for our family. We just all agreed with it. So, I ended up taking the Springdale Athletic Director’s job.
“It will be a transition. I just want to be around sports. I just felt like this was a good time in my life. I’ve been very blessed in my coaching career. I wanted to transition into that to where I’m around all kinds of sports. I’ve been trying to do that my whole life. I want to be able to build a foundation in kids’ lives.”
Conway Schools athletic director Clint Ashcraft said the district is loosing a good coach and friend in Fimple.
“First and foremost, he’s had a good run,” Ashcraft said. “His five years have been fun. Not only are we losing a good coach, but we’re losing a friend. We’re sad.”
Fimple’s resignation was not official until Wednesday.
“I turned that letter in this morning,” Ashcraft said, referring to Wednesday. “We’re scheduling a time to meet with myself and the other administrators to develop our plan and start the process as soon as we can.”
Ashcraft said Fimple will continue to run spring football practice for the remainder of the school year.
“He’s going to finish out his contract with his on-campus duties,” Ashcraft said. “It will give him time to visit with these kids that he’s coached for five years. It will put some closure with them. He’s got some good relationships there. So, we’re going to finish out spring ball. We’re going to stick with the schedule we’ve got.”
During his five years as head coach, Fimple was 45-17, making the playoffs every season. The Wampus Cats advanced to the state semifinals twice, including this past season.
Fimple said leaving Conway is difficult.
“For a guy who worked for 23 years and for a town to take a chance on an assistant to be a head coach – all I can do is hope that I made the community proud, I touched some kids’ lives and the community realize how big a part they were for our family,” he said. “It will always be special to us. I can’t thank people enough around here in the community and the support that they give athletics in the public schools.
“It will always be a big part.”
Fimple and his wife D’Ann have two children. Daughter Leah Grace is a student at the University of Central Arkansas. Son Brock is a seventh grader in Conway.
Mark Buffalo is the sports editor of the Log Cabin Democrat and can be reached at mbuffalo@
thecabin.net.
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