Blytheville (Arkansas) hires former Razorbacks running back Roderick Stinson as head football coach

Stinson was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach for the Marion Patriots from 2022-24
Roderick Stinson, Blytheville football coach
Roderick Stinson, Blytheville football coach / Pine Bluff School District

After Gerrett Howard stepped down as the head coach of the Chickasaws in January, Blytheville athletic director McKenzie Pierce immediately started to search for his successor. The wait for that successor lasted two months.

The Blytheville School District announced Wednesday on Facebook that Roderick Stinson will be the new head coach of the Chickasaws.

Stinson was a superstar running back at Pine Bluff High School, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and helping the Zebras win three consecutive Class 4A titles (1993-95). Stinson played for the Arkansas Razorbacks for four seasons (1997-2000), where he picked up 487 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.

After graduation, Stinson joined the Arkansas coaching staff as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant. He returned to Pine Bluff in 2003 as a junior high coach before joining the high school staff in 2006. Stinson was the offensive coordinator for the Zebras for three seasons before being named the head coach of Hall High School in Little Rock in 2011.

Stinson was in Little Rock for one season before returning once again to Pine Bluff, where he became the defensive coordinator, helping the Zebras win 6A state titles in 2014 and 2015. In 2019, Stinson succeeded Bobby Bolding as Pine Bluff's head coach.

Stinson stepped down from the Zebras in 2021 after going 10-19 in three seasons. He joined Marion's coaching staff in 2022 and helped the team reach the state playoffs in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

OFFSEASON HEAD COACH TRACKER

ARKANSAS HIGH

Previous coach: Trey Outlaw

New coach: Leroy Hood

BLYTHEVILLE

Previous coach: Gerrett Howard

New coach: Roderick Stinson

CAVE CITY

Previous coach: Danny Brustrum 

New coach: 

DEWITT

Previous coach: Tommy Cody

New coach: Jason Hathcock

DOVER

Previous coach: Will Cox

New coach: Mark King

FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE

Previous coach: Felix Curry

New coach: Dom Mirocke

GREEN FOREST

Previous coach: Greg Tibbitt

New coach:

HAMPTON

Previous coach: Chris Morphis 

New coach: Nick Palese

HARDING ACADEMY

Previous coach: Neil Evans 

New coach: Ashley Henley 

JOE T. ROBINSON

Previous coach: Todd Eskola 

New coach: Tyler Uptergrove

LAKE VILLAGE

Previous coach: Sirl Wright

New coach: 

LITTLE ROCK HALL

Previous coach: Jim Withrow

New coach:

MINERAL SPRINGS

Previous coach: Jason Hathcock

New coach: 

MURFREESBORO

Previous coach: Brad Chesshir 

New coach: Jay Turley 

NASHVILLE

Previous coach: Shawn Jackson

New coach: Brad Chesshir 

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

Previous coach: Clint Reed

New coach: Brad Bolding

OZARK

Previous coach: Jeremie Burns 

New coach: Josh Watson 

PARKVIEW

Previous coach: Brad Bolding

New coach: Bobby Bolding

PEA RIDGE

Previous coach: Brey Cook 

New coach: Tony Travis 

SALEM

Previous coach: Josh Watson

New coach: Billy Webber

SPRINGDALE HAR-BER

Previous coach: Brent Eckley

New coach: Aaron Danenhauer

SYLVAN HILLS

Previous coach: JJ Houle 

New coach: Mark Kelley

TWO RIVERS

Previous coach: Jonathan Ellis

New coach:

WEST FORK

Previous coach: Rodney Selph

New coach:

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Chris Gay
CHRIS GAY

Chris Gay is a 2024 graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he got his start in sports media, first as a broadcaster and later as a writer. After graduation, Chris worked as a scout/reporter with Arkansas Prep Girls Hoops, and soon thereafter he began working as a broadcaster with Natural State Sports Network. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.