Coach comes out of retirement to join Wildcats

El Dorado assistant coach Hal Qualls talks to the receivers during a recent practice. Qualls, a 30-year coaching veteran, came out of a two-year retirement to coach the Wildcat receivers this season. Qualls coached at Rogers Heritage before coming to El Dorado. El Dorado travels to SAU in Magnolia on Thursday for a preseason scrimmage against Nashville.
El Dorado assistant coach Hal Qualls talks to the receivers during a recent practice. Qualls, a 30-year coaching veteran, came out of a two-year retirement to coach the Wildcat receivers this season. Qualls coached at Rogers Heritage before coming to El Dorado. El Dorado travels to SAU in Magnolia on Thursday for a preseason scrimmage against Nashville.

By Tony Burns

Sports Editor

It's not often a program can fill an assistant coaching position with 30 years worth of experience. El Dorado did just that this summer when the Wildcats hired Hal Qualls to coach the wide receivers.

Qualls coached at Rogers Heritage before retiring two years ago.

"I was out for two years, got the opportunity to come back here with Coach Reed and these guys so I came out of retirement and got back into coaching," said Qualls. "My wife was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and it was my 30th year. So, I retired to take care of her.”

Qualls' wife, Jeannie, was a long-time high school girls basketball coach, including stints in South Arkansas at Rison and Monticello. She was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and, although her health has improved, she has given up coaching.

"She’s doing real well these last couple of years so I was ready to come back to work. I wasn’t planning on retiring when I did," Coach Qualls said of the family's move to El Dorado. "My oldest son plays quarterback at Arkansas Tech. He’s a red shirt junior. My middle son is a student-assistant coach for the Razorbacks and then we have a fourth grader. You’ll see him around practice.

"I wasn’t planning on retiring at this time but she got sick. For that year or so when she was going through heavy chemo, it was best for me to be at home. She was a coach, too, and she can’t coach anymore. She had to retire and I retired to be with her.”

El Dorado coach Scott Reed said, approximately two weeks after Qualls arrived, Greenwood called and tried to hire him for that program.

"It's a great get for us," said Reed. "He's been successful and he's very knowledgeable. I think our receivers are getting better and better. He's also good for our young coaches. We feel very fortunate."

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