BENTONVILLE (KFSM) – Less than 24 hours after conference rival Rogers made their decision on a basketball coach, Bentonville made their choice on a new leader for the boys hoops program.
Dick Rippee will be the Tigers new head coach pending school board approval, Bentonville athletic director Scott Passmore announced on Wednesday. The next school board meeting is scheduled for May 1.
“We had a solid group of applicants and went through the interview process, two rounds of that, and landed on coach Rippee,” Passmore said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “He is a man of great morals and character. He understands what it takes to take young athletes and turn them into great young men, not just good high school basketball players. He’s a seasoned coach in the state of Missouri with outstanding credentials, an impressive win-loss record and he’s proven to be one of the finest coaches in the state of Missouri.”
Rippee joins the Bentonville program after eight seasons at Springfield Kickapoo where he had a record of 183-49, including a 26-5 mark this past season. Kickapoo reached the state championship game in the spring of 2016. Rippee was previous a head coach at Springfield Parkview for four seasons (67-42) and spent six years as an assistant at Evangel University in Springfield.
“More than his record, who he is as a man and the way he treats his kids and is respected in the community is really exciting for Bentonville,” Passmore said. “One person I spoke to during the process set he sets the norm when it comes to coaches in the state of Missouri.”
The Tigers went 16-10 during the 2016-17 season under coach Jason McMahan after back-to-back trips to the 7A state championship game. McMahan resigned on April 7.
