ROGERS - Larry Ben will tell you there are several reasons why it might not be in his best interest to be a football coach again.
For one, going from an administrative position in Rogers Public Schools back to a teaching / coaching position is sure to bring a substantial drop in salary.
Another are the long hours coaches put in during the football season, while an administrators' hours are more spread out throughout the year.
But for some time now, Ben's felt that getting back into coaching was the right thing to do and several weeks ago, he did just that.
Ben, currently the Rogers Sophomore Campus principal, was hired on Ronnie Peacock's football staff as a defensive line coach for the 2008 football season.
"The biggest thing was that I had always wanted to get back," Ben said. "The only drawback was the salary change. That was a consideration. I just felt like that was worth it to me. … I don't have any regrets at all."
Ben was slated to be an assistant principal at Rogers Heritage, which opens its doors to students in August.
But Ben's two children, Tyler and Cody, were going to attend Rogers High School, with Tyler, who doesn't play football, being a senior and Cody a sophomore football player for the Mounties.
Ben, who had been feeling the tug of getting back into coaching, approached Peacock about one of the Mounties' several job openings on the football staff. The Mounties lost four assistant coaches when Perry Escalante was named head coach at Heritage and hired varsity assistants Chad Harbison, Jerrod Blockburger and Paul Wilson to his staff.
Peacock encouraged Ben to do what would make him happy.
"(Ben ) came to me and said he was thinking about getting back in," Peacock said. "I was very positive and encouraging and said I'd love to have him.
"We've had a good relationship. Even though I don't know him as a coach, I know him as a man. I think he'll fit in well. "Ben said his relationship with Peacock "made it easier to make that decision because I have known him for several years although we haven't coached together. "This will be Ben's second goaround with the Mounties' football program. Ben coached under Charlie Cooper from 1994-97 before earning his doctorate from the University of Arkansas and getting into administration in 1998. He served as an assistant principal at Lingle Middle School and Rogers High School before becoming the Sophomore Campus principal in 2001. "It's good, too, that the kids all know him," Peacock said. "They know him as a principal and I think he's exciting about them knowing him as a coach. I'm excited about having him because he's so excited about being here. I think that's going to be a good deal for him and a good deal for us also."
Ben started his coaching career at his alma mater in 1985 at Tahlequah, Okla., and stayed there through 1990.
He became the head coach at Gravette in 1991 and stayed there until 1993 before coming to Rogers.
Ben coached the defensive line in Tahlequah but focused mainly on offense while he was the head coach at Gravette.
"Those were lean years in Gravette," Ben said. "Even worse before I got there. I don't remember exactly but we won a couple of games per year. It seemed that they were all close (games ) but we had a hard time getting over the hump. At one point we had 17 players out for football."
When Ben came to Rogers, he coached linebackers and served as the defensive coordinator for one year.
Ben has been working with the Mounties the last several weeks, including a defensive line mini-camp before the start of spring football.
"It hasn't been an odd transition for me," said Ben, who played defensive end and quarterback in high school. He went on to play fullback / tight end and defensive end at Northeastern State. "A lot of coaches will tell you, games are won and lost on the line. It's important."
NOTES: Ben's teaching position at Rogers High for 2008 has not been settled yet but it is expected to be in Life Sciences, either Biology and / or Ecology, he said. … Ben's wife of nearly five years, Lynn, is the daughter of legendary Rogers football coach Gary "Blackie"Bond. Lynn's brother and former Mountie John Bond was the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech last season. "She comes from a football coaching family," Larry Ben said. … Cody Ben (5-foot-8 ) is listed as a wide receiver / defensive back on the Rogers sophomore roster.
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