Hutson resigns after 0-10 season at Sallisaw
Week 4, so Hutson added defensive coordinator responsibilities to special teams coach Richard Pratt for the rest of the season.
Sallisaw head football coach Mark Hutson has resigned after a disappointing 0-10 maiden season at the helm of the Black Diamonds’ program.
“We will be working diligently to find the most highly qualified and best football coach for the studentathletes of Sallisaw schools,” said Steve Barrett, acting Sallisaw superintendent. “We are highly dedicated to providing the most enriching, rewarding and positive experiences in all of our extracurricular activities.”
Barrett said the school cannot legally comment on the details of personnel matters other than to confirm Hutson’s departure from the school.
Under Hutson’s direction, Sallisaw hired three new assistant coaches, including his son Ethan as offensive coordinator.
As the season progressed, however, the number of assistant coaches got smaller, losing assistant coaches Chauncy Dana and Mike Montano during spring and summer pre-season training. Then, just before the start of the season, special teams and kicking coach Sinue Rodriguez left the program.
It was around that time that volunteer assistant coach Dan George was asked not to return, and assistant coach Josh Bolin decided to coach fastpitch softball instead of football.
Black Diamonds defensive coordinator Matt Hawkins also decided to leave the program after Week 4, so Hutson added defensive coordinator responsibilities to special teams coach Richard Pratt for the rest of the season.
The Black Diamonds’ problems started in the summer and continued through their early scrimmages before carrying over to the regular-season opener at Stigler.
It seemed from the outset Hutson had difficulty getting a cohesive strategy, which was made obvious by the changes week to week on player assignments, tactics and the apparent lack of a conditioning program that would have the team running out of gas during the second half well into the season.
The last time the Black Diamonds registered a win was the fourth game of last year’s 1-9 season, and with zero wins this season, it brought Sallisaw’s losing streak to 16 games.
While Hutson’s hiring a year ago was heralded as a new beginning for Sallisaw, the search must begin anew for someone who’s the perfect fit for Sallisaw and its student-athletes. Finding someone who has the right incentives and wants to take on what has become a monumental task of turning around the program is paramount. The search is expected to be for a coach with the necessary motivational skills mixed with hands-on experience at the high school level of play to create a long-lasting rapport with the students and the community.
