After losing Jonathon Bates to his alma matter at Jessieville, the Waldron Bulldogs football program was in search of not only a new coach but a new overall outlook for the Bulldogs program. With top-notch athletic facilities, an overflowing talent pool, and a fan base “rabid” about their Bulldogs, Waldron is a coach’s gold mine. Well, they found the man for the job in former Magazine Head Coach Doug Powell. A gold mine isn’t what Powell is coming to town for though. He’s coming to make boys into young men and to put Waldron Football back on the map.
When Doug Powell graduated from college, he had one thing on his mind. Coaching. As a player himself, he had an absolute pure passion for the game of football. But unlike many “wannabe” armchair quarterback coaches, Powell was a natural and was quite good at the job. His goal was to coach at one of three high schools. Mansfield, Magazine, and Waldron. Well, Magazine can be checked off that list as Powell helped the program back to prominence. Now with Powell being the official Head Football Coach of the Waldron Bulldogs, Mansfield can be marked off his list too because in Powell’s own words “they’ll have to drag me out of Waldron.”
But why would Waldron be a haven for Coach Powell? The Bulldogs have struggled over the past few years in the heavyweight loaded 4A-4 Conference. Waldron has only won 14 games since 2012. Teams like Ozark, Mena, Dardanelle, and others have the odds stacked against the Bulldogs. That may ring true to many folks, but not to Powell. “I have always been drawn to Waldron,” Powell said. “Sure, historically Waldron has been a tough place to be successful for coaches due to the laundry list of stellar opponents. But as much talent as those teams have, we have as much if not more talent here. We have a fan base that is not only faithful, but they downright love Bulldog football. Waldron literally has all a coach could want”.
Powell knows all about challenges and how to face those challenges head-on to be successful. While Coaching at Magazine, Powell was able to take the Rattlers from being what was an automatic win for opponents to being a year in year out State Playoff contender. He was able to do that by his work ethic, personality, and by holding himself to the same standards he holds his players to. Powell is well known for his calm demeanor and for being a straight shooter with his players and community. Although winning is key to Powell, he doesn’t look for just championship gold. He aims to build well rounded young men to send out into the world. “We have to have players who are more than just athletes. Their grades, influence on fellow students, respect for others, and image in the community must always be positive. Those aspects bleed into the players and program to make us even stronger.”
When it comes to football though, Powell’s philosophy is pretty cut and dry. “It all boils down to a desire from the players who are self-disciplined, selfless, and hard workers who are willing to buy into the system. Having talent is just a bonus,” said Powell. “You don’t have to have a super talented roster. I want a team full of blue-collar hard-working young adults. Players who clock in at practice/games, work their tails off, then clock out when it’s over. Don’t get me wrong, I love flashy talent. But a hard-working player with minimal talent will beat a talented but lazy player every time. Â
Powell believes a program is more than the Senior High team. “It all starts in Little League,” says Powell. “Our little guys are the seeds that we will grow from over the years. We have to be a complete program from top to bottom. We have to get our players buying into what we do as early as possible and make sure we let them know that they are just as important as their Senior High counterparts. Every level needs to be looked at as equal Bulldogs no matter their age.“
We all know the old saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day. The Bulldogs have the same kind of work to be done. Powell has already spoken to some of the Bulldog players and has promised them that he will give every single ounce of effort, work, and “Powell Power” he has to them and the Waldron faithful. Powell has dreamt of this opportunity and knows what hurdles lie ahead. Just remember, these are hurdles, not mountains. Bulldogs Head Coach Doug Powell has the blueprints spread out and his hammer in hand. So the only question is, who’s ready to pick up their hammers to help him build Waldron Football into the Rome it’s meant to be?
