When Ronny Mullins was hired by Irving ISD back in February 2016, he was given the task of improving on an Irving MacArthur team that had experienced success under former head coach Brian Basil. After spending the previous year as the head football coach at Frisco Centennial, he went 6-4 (5-3) and just missed the playoffs.
Now in his first season at MacArthur, the shift in coaching and changes occurring in the program were apparent as MacArthur went 1-9 and finished last in the highly-competitive District 7-6A. MacArthur’s only win came against crosstown district rival Irving Nimitz.
Will MacArthur be able to increase their win total now that Mullins will be heading into year two?
Key Departures
LB Bryse Burris, RB Jeddrick Webster, WR/DB Montrail Walker
MacArthur will be losing an All-District linebacker as well as their leading receiver and rusher. Over 1,000 total yards on offense and six touchdowns were accounted for between the two offensive leaders last year.
Key Returners
WR Tyson Hardin, QB Brion Lopez, RB Gabriel Sanders
All-District wide receiver Tyson Hardin will be entering his senior year after snagging four touchdown receptions and 315 receiving yards. Starting quarterback Brion Lopez will be back also after tossing eight touchdowns and Gabriel Sanders will be back as the junior lead back after rushing for 548 yards and three touchdowns.
Verdict
Even with MacArthur experiencing some first-year struggles under a new head coach, the future of the program can be molded to strength come next season as returning players and upcoming players now have a feel of what Coach Mullins wants from the program. It will still take some time for MacArthur to get back to being a playoff team but next season should bring about some more opportunities to iron out the creases and wrinkles that come whenever a new head coach takes over.
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