A native of Arlington, Texas and a graduate of Arlington High School in 1991, Rhoten ended up playing football for Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
“When I was playing up there it was NAIA, but now they’re in the Lone Star Conference.” said Rhoten. “I was red-shirted and played there four years.” He met his wife, Kristi, during that time who is originally from Canton, Texas. Upon graduation, he and Kristi went to Nashville because a friend of his had offered him a coordinator position.
“I had no idea what I was doing.” said Rhoten. “When I got Nashville, there were three coaches. I learned pretty quickly that it was a lot of hard work. We did it all, from painting the field and everything. It was a real culture shock to me.”
After being in Tennessee for nine months and both he and his wife (who is also a teacher) missing Texas, an opportunity came open for him to get a coaching position at Flower Mound Marcus in 1996. That first year, Marcus went 10-4 and followed that up with a 14-2 state championship in 1997.
“That was pretty cool. I was more of a scout guy and helping out with the grunt work.” said Rhoten.
He left Marcus and started coaching in Belton as offensive coordinator, where they went 9-2 the first year, but followed that with an 0-10 season. That put the head coach on the chopping block and he told the assistants to start looking elsewhere. Rhoten went to Paris Chisum
“That was my first taste of small school Texas football.” said Rhoten. “My oldest girl Landry was in third grade and I thought that a school that size was where I wanted my child to grow up in. I like the feel of a small school.”
While at Chisum, he developed a friendship with with Lance Angel, the former coach at Cooper. Angel had tried to get him to come to Canton where he had just taken the head coaching position. After initially refusing, when the offensive coordinator position opened up, he jumped all over it. With his wife Kristi being from Canton, it was an easy sell.
“It was a good move.” said Rhoten. “It was my dream place to be because she’s from there and where we always called home.”
“We went 10-2 and got beat by Lindale and Carthage. It was a stellar year.” said Rhoten. “Our quarterback threw for about 4,000 yards that year. We were lighting it up.”
During that time, Kristi’s mom was diagnosed with cancer and underwent hospice in their house and she passed away in their daughter’s bed.
Rhoten said that even though he had the coaching position he had dreamed of, his family wasn’t happy. “It was a real turbulent time with the family there and God was telling me to step back and prioritize. So I went to Waco Robinson to become the offensive coordinator. Me and my three have to be happy. That’s what it’s about.”
“It was just unbelievable.” said Rhoten. “Where we left off in year four in Canton, the kids in Robinson picked it right up in year one.”
After being happy at Robinson for a couple of years, he decided to put in a resume at Whitewright in 2013 for the athletic director and head coaching position. That year, Zack Hudson was also a finalist for the Whitewright job.
“I kind of felt like I was being called to continue the AD side of things.” said Rhoten. “God was telling me to get back in to what I was supposed to be doing.”
While at Whitewright, he soon felt that it wasn’t the right fit. After sending his resume out for several athletic director positions, he was offered one, but turned it down.
“Through the last four or five years, I’ve just been led to believe that it’s not really where you’re at, but who you’re with.” said Rhoten. “And (Zack) Hudson and (Kevin) Wilson and the leadership here is outstanding. They are just good people and I just kept getting a pull to be here. Logic just kept telling me to create some normalcy by staying put. Give your family a home and everything here just felt right to us.”
Rhoten will take on the role of defensive coordinator in football and middle school assistant principal. The administration side is new for him but he feels like it could be a great opportunity for him and his family. Kristi was also hired by the district and will teach third grade.
So how does a spread offensive coach who’s had 4,000 yard passing quarterbacks on multiple occasions feel about the slot-T and a team that threw the ball a total of 23 times last year?
“Scouting Howe this time last year, I was impressed with how efficient they were and I admired how the coaches were able to install something so quickly and look so sharp so early.” said Rhoten. “Coach Hudson putting his trust in somebody in turn it all over to them is special. These kids here have latched on to this stuff. As far as philosophies, you do what you have to do for the kids to understand to make it work and win. Howe is living proof that if the kids buy in and do it right, within a year’s time it can turn around. Do I think we need to be throwing the ball? Absolutely not. That’s not my job anymore anyway.”
Rhoten says that playing against Howe’s slot-T offense was tough but transitioning and meshing with the coaching staff has been easy. He was quick to point out that it all starts out at the top with Zack Hudson and says that he’s a coaches coach.
“He wants to do the profession right.” said Rhoten. “These guys here know what’s going on. You want to try to maintain respect within the profession and these guys are great. We’ve developed our own camaraderie.”
Rhoten said that as good as Hudson is at coaching football, he’s equally knowledgeable of the maintenance side to the athletic facilities and has to have saved the district a lot of money.
“I learn something new everyday from him; from killing ants to whatever. He’s got a plan.” said Rhoten.
As unhappy as Rhoten and his family were at the end of the Canton stay, he says all is well now. “Me and my three are happy. I’ve got one chance to be a daddy. It needs to be God first, but as it filters down, my family has got to be what I’m doing everything for.” said Rhoten.
Oldest daughter Landry will be a junior and a major contributor to an already highly touted Lady Bulldogs basketball team. Emory is the youngest daughter and will be in sixth grade and out from under mom’s elementary nest for the first time. Although, her daddy will be the assistant principal.
But getting back to Landry and the Lady Bulldogs. She received all-district honorable mention last year as a sophomore basketball player as well as academic first team. She’s a 5’9 point and has already started working with the team in the off-season.
“Kind of like myself, anywhere she can contribute is what she wants to do.” said Rhoten. “She’s not coming in here and expecting to start or anything like that. She just wants to contribute and be a part of this thing and help out where she can. The way I see it, it’s going to be a really deep bench.”
This summer, Coach Lands took them to a basketball camp where they went undefeated. They also went undefeated in a Pottsboro camp. Rhoten feels like this year’s Lady Bulldogs have a great chance to claim their first state championship.
“These girls have just been phenomenal in embracing my girls and making them feel comfortable here.” said Rhoten. “A lot of times the proximity and being opponents can play a factor, but they are athletes and they’re already a family.”
Landry has always played volleyball also, but decided that she would run cross country instead and help the football team as a water girl. Just as Landry is being taught to be unselfish to better the team, her father is practicing what he preaches. As a former athletic director and head coach, he could still be holding those positions, but he’s being a team player for his family, for his new coaching colleagues and for his players.
Next year, the Howe Bulldogs will be re-aligned and move up to play the likes of Pottsboro, Van Alstyne and larger schools regularly. But for Bulldogs fans, right now, this very fall is the time to enjoy the best overall coaching staff this town has ever seen.
