Bob Alberson

The search for the new Cougar football coach officially concluded Monday night, as the Rector school board approved the hiring of Bob Alberson to the vacated position.

Alberson, 32, is a 1994 graduate of Marion High School and 2006 graduate of Arkansas State University.

Prior to finishing his degree, Alberson served in the United States Marine Corps. There, he played and coached for the All-Marine Corps football team. When his service in the military concluded, Alberson continued to stoke his love for the game while coaching and playing semi-pro football in Memphis.

After coaching in the military, semi-professional and peewee leagues, Alberson decided to pursue a career in the sport he loved.

"I had been coaching for 12 years off and on and I decided I wanted to do it full-time," Alberson said.

His first position came as an assistant in Osceola where he has spent the past two seasons. While there, he studied under popular coach Clinton Gore, learning the ins and outs of the wishbone formation.

Now, Alberson says he's happy to have the opportunity to helm his own program.

Alberson also has ties to Rector. His wife, Amanda, is a 1997 graduate of Clay County Central. The couple has two children, six-year-old Ryleigh and Easton, who is three.

His "family ties" may be sense of stability the program for which the program has been longing.

"I plan to be here for a while. If nothing else, my wife will make sure I stay put," he joked.

All kidding aside, Alberson says he has a plan to get the program back on the right track.

"Numbers is one of the biggest concerns right. I'm going to pound the hallways and try to get some kids on the field that want to be playing or should be playing. We've got to get the numbers up."

Alberson hopes a sense of stability will encourage newcomers to take part in the program.

"Because of the number of coaches in the past several years, these kids see the inconsistency and decide not to be a part of it. If we can establish a system and keep it consistent, I think you'll see the number of kids out there go up."

Alberson plans to make changes to the offensive scheme. Last year, the Cougars switched to a spread offense under one-and-done head coach Elliott Jacobs. Alberson considers himself a "disciple of the wishbone" and will use the running attack more often. He plans to still throw the ball, so fans of the aerial game can rest easy, but he sees the strength of the squad coming from the ground.

"I believe in ball control. We're going to run the clock and control the tempo of the game."

The wishbone formation utilizes three running backs. A fullback is placed directly behind the quarterback, with two tailbacks lined up further back on each side, forming an inverted "Y" or wishbone. This formation allows for the inclusion of option plays, utilizing rushing from all three running backs, as well as the quarterback. The formation also utilizes either two wide receivers, a wide receiver and a tight end or two tight ends, allowing for the option of passing the ball.

Right now, several Cougars are taking part in voluntary workouts. Alberson said 20 players have been in the weight room thus far, with more reported to be taking part once completing prior engagements.

The Cougars will begin mandatory practices on August 4. The team will begin practicing in pads on August 7.