Rachel ready for one sport
Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/Sports/62203/
BENTONVILLE — For the last 37 years, Rick Rachel’s time has been divided by two sports — football in the summer and fall and track and field in the spring.
At 58 years old and with retirement in the nottoo-distant future, Rachel recently decided to cut back a bit.
Rachel resigned his duties as Bentonville boys’ track coach after 11 years in the position. Rachel will remain on the Bentonville High School football staff as an assistant coach.
“ It’s a lot of time put in, ” Rachel said. “ I just thought maybe it was time to do one of them and give all my effort to it in my last few years. The time we put in for both programs is just tremendous. ”
The move became official June 30 when Rachel’s contract for the previous school year expired.
“ I have nothing but praises to sing for Rick and what he’s done for the track program, ” Bentonville athletics director Lauren West said. Rachel said he has a deep passion for both football and track, but the time dedication required to coach both was becoming too much. Rachel led the Bentonville boys’ track program to its first-ever conference championship in 2007. “ I really enjoy coaching track, ” Rachel said. “ I enjoy the kids. I had to make a decision about what I was going to do here towards the end of my career. I’ve always loved football. I had to make a choice and I wanted to stay with football. ” Rachel began his career coaching at Alma and has also coached at Danville, Greenwood and West Fork before coming to Bentonville.
• • • Rachel’s replacement at the head of the Bentonville boys’ track program is a familiar face in Arkansas track circles. Michael Power, a former Razorback cross country and track standout from 1996-1999, has been selected for the position though his hiring will not be official until the district’s August board meeting on Aug. 18, West said. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Power was a nine-time All-American and five-time Southeastern Conference champion for Arkansas in cross country and track and field. Power won SEC cross-country titles in 1998 and 1999 and finished second nationally at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1999. Power won the 5000-meter championship at the 1998 SEC Outdoor Championships and he won two more titles at the SEC Indoors in 1999 in the mile and three-kilometer
events. Power also qualified for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in the 5000 meters. Power recently coached the distance runners for the University of Memphis. “ I was really, really impressed with him, ” Rachel said of Power. “ I’m hoping this will be a shot in the arm toward the boys’ track program. ”
• • • Power’s wife has also been hired as an assistant volleyball coach for the defending Class 7 A state champion Lady Tigers. Jennifer (Haaser ) Power also is a former Razorback standout, playing volleyball for Arkansas from 2001-2004. She was a teammate there of BHS head volleyball coach Michelle Coens. Power was the 2001 SEC Freshman of the Year and earned All-SEC Second Team honors in 2001 and 2003. She was the 2004 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Power’s father is Steve Haaser, the head volleyball coach at Fort Smith Southside. Jennifer Power’s hiring also will become official at the August board meeting
• • • West has recommended two positions for hire for this month’s board meeting Monday. Former Bentonville football player Aaron Danenhauer, an All-State center on the Tigers’ 2001 state championship team, has been hired as an assistant freshmen football coach for Bentonville Gold and an assistant freshmen track coach, West said. Danenhauer played at the University of Tulsa, where he was a candidate for the Rimington Trophy, annually given to the nation’s top center. He also had a brief stint with the San Jose Saber-Cats of the Arena Football League. West also said Dustin Coon has been recommended for hire as the head volleyball coach at Washington Junior High and assistant boys’ track coach for Bentonville High School.
• • • West said Bentonville’s coaching staff for the 2008-2009 school year will be complete once a new boys’ golf coach is hired to replace John McElroy, who stepped down because of academic responsibilities at the high school.