Chris Kizer tapped as head Badger

TOP BADGER — Chris Kizer is the new head coach of the AHS Badgers football program. | Arkadelphia High School photo

By CHRIS BABB | Special to arkadelphian.com

The Arkadelphia Public School District school board approved the hiring of Chris Kizer as the next head coach of the Badger football program Friday evening at a special called meeting.

Kizer has served two separate stints with the Badgers and has been the defensive coordinator for a total of 10 seasons. Kizer was defensive coordinator on the staff of the state championship teams of 2017 and 2018 under coach J.R. Eldridge. After leaving in 2020, Kizer returned for the 2022 season and was defensive coordinator of the state championship team of 2024 under Trey Schucker, who just left the program after accepting the head coaching position at Sylvan Hills.

Kizer said he understands the history and tradition of Badger football and looks forward to having a chance to lead the program.

“It’s a great program with great tradition and always in the mix to win and win at a high level,” said Kizer. “Having been here, I know the standard and I’m ready to maintain and try to elevate that standard.”

Although this is Kizer’s first head coaching job, he believes that his predecessors have shown that it is possible for a first-year head coach to be successful, even at a place like Arkadelphia.

“The last three head coaches to win state championships at Arkadelphia did so in their first head coaching job,” said Kizer. “It came because Arkadelphia gave them their first opportunity.”

Kizer is referring to former head coaches Eldridge, Schucker and the first Arkadelphia coach to win a title in his first head coaching job in John Outlaw. The first-time head coach won a state championship in his first season as the head Badger in 1979 and then again in 1987.

Arkadelphia Athletic Director Jason Jones is excited to see Kizer take the reins of a program to which he has already given so much.

“We talked to some very good head coaches, but at the end of the day, how could we not go with a great coach that was already on our campus working with our students and has been a part of so many wins over the last decade.” said Jones.

“Coach Kizer is a hard worker who wants our student-athletes to be their very best,” Jones added. “The students in our football program know what hard work is because they see him demonstrate that and truly lead by example every day.”

Kizer is a 2012 graduate of Southern Arkansas University. Kizer got his start in coaching as a volunteer assistant at Ouachita Baptist University under head coach Todd Knight while driving back and forth to Magnolia. In addition to his jobs in Arkadelphia, Kizer has also worked in the North Little Rock and Gurdon school districts. Kizer is married to Allison Frizell-Kizer who is the head volleyball coach at OBU.