The "interim" tag was removed from Blytheville head football coach Vince McCrosky this week according to Blytheville athletic director, David Hixson.
"He's definitely the best fit," said Hixson. "What he did last year, with the limited amount of time he had to put a team together, he just did a great job."
McCrosky was hired as interim head coach last June after former head coach Maurice Moody abruptly resigned. The Chicks finished the 2012 season with a 3-8 overall record and 2-6 in the 5A-East.
Hixson said: "Most importantly, going forward, it's the stability that he's bringing. The number of kids that came out after the season and are continuing to come out. The trust factor he's built with the kids is great. He's getting good players and trying to build better men. You don't find many coaches as passionate about what they are doing as Vince (McCrosky) is."
When McCrosky first came to Blytheville last summer, he had as few as six players to work with in July. By the time the season was in full swing, he had nearly 40. McCrosky is looking to have 50-60 players on the roster next season.
McCrosky said he's already moving forward.
"I'm grateful that Dave (Hixson) and the administration have trust in the job that I came here to do," he said via phone from a coaches clinic in Kansas City, Mo. Friday morning.
"We're not just building a football program, we're building men."
McCrosky understands the frustration some may have with the record that the Chicks posted this season and is hoping the community can see beyond the record and to what they are trying to accomplish on and off the field.
"Some coaches like to build a team and make it look pretty on the outside when there are plenty of problems on the inside," he said. "I'm trying to build this team from the inside out."
afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com