Dyun Long, Magnolia High School's basketball coach since 2007, has been elevated to the position of athletic director after unanimous approval Monday night by the district’s board of education.
The move came after a recommendation by Superintendent John Ward.
Long, a Smackover native, has been a Magnolia lifer as a coach, spending his entire 23-year career in the school system.
“It’s the only place I’ve ever been,” he said Monday.
Long has coached junior high and high school football as well as basketball. His crowning coaching achievement came in March when his 2018-19 MHS Panther squad won the Arkansas Class 4A State Basketball Championship in an overtime thriller over Little Rock Mills.
Long was one of seven applicants for the job, according to Ward. From those seven, five individuals were interviewed and discussed. MHS Principal Chris Carter also aided in the search.
“From those applicants, Mr. Carter and I identified our top two candidates and asked them to return for a second interview,” said Ward. “Again we questioned candidates about their vision for our program and how they could lead our program and continue our strong tradition of excellence, all while facilitating and identifying areas of changes that need to take place within our program.”
Ward later added that he was a fan of Long’s personality and his ability to navigate a program.
“For the past five years that I have been the superintendent here, I have had the opportunity to closely observe Coach Long’s actions, his demeanor, and his ability to communicate,” Ward added. “I’ve also witnessed his ability to respond to adversity as well as success. And after an in-depth conversation about our athletic program, I am completely convinced and I trust he is the right person for this position.”
Long will not take over the AD job immediately. Current Athletic Director Marvin Lindsey, also a former state championship-winning Panther basketball coach, will stay on board until his contract expires June 30, 2019.
During that time, Long will still preside over the day-to-day operations of the basketball team, while also shadowing Lindsey to learn the nuances of the new position.
“Hopefully, he can kind of show me the ropes," Long said, "and I can learn as we go along, and I can jump in the middle of it when my time comes.”
The newly-announced AD showed a calm, collected excitement Monday, smiling after the announcement. He later thanked the school board members and greeted fellow faculty in attendance.
“I’m looking forward to the new challenge,” he told the Banner-News. “I’m just going get my feet wet and see where it takes us.”
Although Long will still handle the basketball program until the school year's end, no timetable was stated Monday on the hiring of his replacement.