White Hall High School is once again in need of a new head football coach.
Daryl Patton confirmed to The Commercial on Friday he will retire after 28 years as a head coach in Arkansas, the past two at White Hall.
Patton’s head coaching career began at Bryant, his alma mater, in 1998. He took over at Fayetteville in 2002 and won four Class 7A state championships with the Purple Dogs before taking over at Bauxite in 2016. He was named Little Rock Southwest’s inaugural coach in 2020 and spent four seasons there before moving to White Hall.
White Hall School District Superintendent Gary Williams said Patton had confirmed retirement plans with him and Athletic Director Mark Cantwell on Friday.
“It’s still early with the news,” Williams said. “We wish him well. He’s had a long career and a lot of success.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Williams added it was “too early in the process” to make a formal announcement about a process to identify his successor. Patton confirmed his upcoming retirement three days after the district board’s recent regular meeting.
“We’ll think through our next steps,” Williams said. “We’ll sit down with Coach Cantwell, and we’ll bring his retirement letter to the board at the next opportunity.”
The next White Hall coach will be the Bulldogs’ fourth since Bobby Bolding left for Little Rock Parkview after a Class 5A runner-up season in 2021. Former NFL and University of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett coached White Hall in 2022 until his death while on vacation in June 2023. Jason Mitchell served as the interim head coach in 2023 until the school hired Patton that December.
The Bulldogs have not made the playoffs since Bolding’s departure. White Hall is 13-27 since 2022, including a 4-16 mark under Patton.
The next head coach will be tasked with leading the Bulldogs into a new conference. White Hall is joining the 5A-South next season after competing in the 5A-Central.