RISON - Clay Totty, the longest-serving and winningest head footbal coach in Rison High School history, has resigned to become head football coach at Class 5A Wynne High School.
The Cleveland County School Board meet in a special called meeting last Thursday night, Dec. 15, to formally accept Totty's resignation as head football coach, head boys track coach, athletic director and high school teacher.
Superintendent Craig Dupuy said the resignation is effective today (Wednesday, Dec. 21), which allows Totty to begin his new duties as head coach of the Wynne Yellowjackets with the start of the Spring 2023 semester on Jan. 3.
Dupuy said he confirmed that Totty was formally hired by the (continued from page 1) Wynne School Board before taking the matter before the Cleveland County School Board last Thursday. Wynne's school board had met previously that same Thursday evening.
Assistant Coach Josh Smeltzer, who served as the defensive coordinator for the Wildcats this year, has been put in charge of overseeing the offseason program for the football team, Dupuy said.
Totty's resignation letter consisted of just one sentence: "I Clay Totty resign my position at Rison High School ending on December 21st of 2022 pending hired at Wynne High School on January 3rd of 2023." Totty said he had been praying about making a transition for about two years, especially after reading an article in the Herald about a school board meeting in March 2021 in which the board discussed a change of direction within the athletic department. Totty was athletic director at the time.
During that meeting, the board was discussing a 5-mill tax increase to support construction of a new gym and track, among other things. Former board member Jason Hall voted against the millage request, stating that there was no need for a new gym if the athletic department was not going to put more emphasis on basketball, baseball and other sports besides football.
"When you put that out there, it compromises everything you're…