Har-Ber Athletic Director Chris Wood Resigns to Join SMU Football Staff; Williams Named Successor
Chris Wood, longtime leader in Springdale athletics, has stepped down as Director of Athletics at Springdale Har-Ber High School to take on a new role in college football. The 52-year-old has accepted a position on Rhett Lashlee’s football coaching staff at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he will serve as Director of High School Relations.
Wood’s departure marks the end of a 20-year tenure with the Springdale School District where he served for 17 years as Har-Ber's first head football coach followed by two years as the school’s athletic director. He also previously served one year as the offensive coordinator at Springdale High School under former head coach Gus Malzahn.
Wood and Lashlee’s connection dates back to Lashlee’s high school playing days at Shiloh Christian. At the time, Wood was on Malzahn’s coaching staff and served as Lashlee’s head coach in eighth and ninth grade during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. In 1999, Wood was promoted to receivers coach on Malzahn’s staff at Shiloh Christian. The following year, he accepted a position as offensive coordinator at Austin High School in Texas.
He returned to Shiloh Christian in 2001 as head coach when Malzahn moved to Springdale High School. That same year, Wood coached Lashlee, then the team’s quarterback, to a Class AA state championship.
In 2006, Wood was named the inaugural head football coach at Har-Ber High School. Over the next decade and a half, he built the program into a perennial contender. Under his leadership, the Wildcats claimed the Class 7A state championship in 2009, made two appearances in the state title game (2007 and 2015), reached the state semifinals five times, and twice earned national rankings in the USA Today prep poll.
During his time at Har-Ber, Wood amassed 115 wins, captured four conference championships, and led the team to 15 playoff appearances.
NEW AD IN PLACE
Jeff Williams has been named as the next Director of Athletics for Springdale Har-Ber, following the departure of Wood.
The announcement was made via a statement on the district’s social media platforms, where officials expressed their enthusiasm for Williams' appointment. “Springdale School District is excited to welcome Jeffrey David Williams as the new Athletic Director, serving the Har-Ber High School side of the district,” the statement read.
Williams brings with him a wealth of experience, having dedicated 28 years to education and athletics. He most recently served in the Siloam Springs School District for four and a half years. His previous roles include eight years at El Dorado High School, 15 years at Fort Smith Southside, and additional time spent at both Pea Ridge and Siloam Springs.
In a statement following the announcement, Williams shared his excitement about the new role: “I am extremely excited about joining the Springdale School District team. I really look forward to working with Coach Keith Fimple and helping grow the athletic programs here.”