North Little Rock Coaching Legend Daryl Fimple Named Head Coach at Arkansas Tech
Longtime North Little Rock girls basketball coach Daryl Fimple has been named the next head women’s basketball coach at Arkansas Tech, the university announced Monday.
Fimple, an Arkansas Tech alumnus and one of the most successful high school coaches in state history, becomes the seventh head coach in the program’s history. He will be formally introduced during a public event at Tucker Coliseum on April 1.
Arkansas Tech Director of Athletics Abby Davis said Fimple’s connection to the university and extensive coaching success made him a natural fit to lead the Golden Suns program.
“Daryl has been preparing for this opportunity since he was 10 years old,” said Davis. “From his first exposure to Arkansas Tech through Marty Barnes’ basketball camps to his days as a player for the Wonder Boys and continuing through his service on Joe Foley’s women’s basketball staff as a student assistant, Daryl became encultured in Arkansas Tech basketball from an early age. He took what he learned from Coach Barnes and Coach Foley and became one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in Arkansas history. In Coach Fimple, we have identified an individual who has the knowledge, the relationships and the will necessary to add to the incredible championship tradition of Golden Suns basketball.”
Fimple takes over a program with a storied tradition. Arkansas Tech is approaching its 50th season of women’s basketball and has accumulated more than 1,100 wins, multiple national championships and dozens of conference titles since its inception.
Fimple brings a decorated resume to the collegiate level, highlighted by 668 career wins and six state championships at Arkansas’ highest classification. After beginning his head coaching career at Lonoke, he spent more than two decades at North Little Rock, where he built the Lady Charging Wildcats into a perennial powerhouse.
North Little Rock had never won a girls basketball state championship prior to Fimple’s arrival. He led the program to its first title in 2006 and added five more championships in 2010, 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2026.
Under his leadership, the Lady Charging Wildcats reached the state semifinals 17 times, appeared in nine state championship games and captured 16 conference titles. He also helped develop dozens of players who went on to compete at the collegiate level.
Fimple said the opportunity to return to Arkansas Tech is a full-circle moment in his career.
“I am deeply honored to accept the head women’s basketball coach position at Arkansas Tech University,” said Fimple. “Returning to the program where my career began as a student coach is a true full‑circle moment. I am committed to honoring the university’s proud tradition, developing champions on and off the court and building a future our community can be proud of. Thank you for this incredible opportunity.”
A graduate of Alma High School, Fimple attended Arkansas Tech beginning in 1993, where he played for the Wonder Boys before transitioning into a student assistant role with the women’s basketball program under longtime coach Joe Foley.
Foley, a Hall of Fame coach and one of the most successful figures in Arkansas Tech history, said Fimple has developed into an outstanding leader with a strong ability to connect with players and build winning programs.
Fimple now steps into a program with championship expectations, aiming to continue the Golden Suns’ legacy while bringing his proven track record of success from the high school ranks to the collegiate level.