Dollarway schools Superintendent Frank Anthony has hired Crystal Scott as the district’s athletic director and Dollarway High girls basketball coach, pending approval of the state commissioner of education.
Anthony confirmed the hiring Thursday. Scott will replace Joe Hart, who had served as AD in the interim after Fuller Cherry stepped down in the middle of last season. She also replaces Paulette Bell as girls basketball coach.
This is the first AD role for Scott, a former Pine Bluff track and field coach who most recently coached basketball at Stuttgart. Dollarway is joining Stuttgart in the 2-4A Conference when school begins.
“The AD is a new arena, but she’s a structured young lady,” Anthony said. “She was the strongest, best candidate I had. I’m very optimistic she can help me get where we need to be.”
Scott, who could not be reached, worked at Pine Bluff while Anthony was superintendent there. She helped the Fillies win state track and field championships in 2001 and 2002.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
She will take over a Dollarway athletic department that’s enjoyed success while dealing with controversy in recent years. The football and boys basketball teams reached their respective state semifinals in 4A this past school year, and the girls track team produced a state 100-meter dash champion in Khadijah Smith in 2011.
However, Dollarway has been saddled with ineligibility issues, forfeiting games three times in boys basketball and two in football since the 2008-09 school year. Just this past year, Dollarway gave up four football victories in October and two boys basketball wins at the end of the regular season, costing the Cardinals an undefeated record in the 8-4A Conference, but not enough for them to lose the conference championship.
Anthony said ensuring the academic eligibility of each athlete will be of high priority.