(Photo courtesy of wholehogsports.com)
Former Mountain Home assistant football coach and Arkansas Razorback Ryan Mallett has drowned in Florida. The White Hall School District posted confirmation on its website of the death of its current head coach. Mallett was 35.
According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, first responders were called to a beach on the Gulf of Mexico in Destin just after 2 Tuesday afternoon. A group of individuals in the water near the second sandbar had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore. One individual, later identified as Mallett, went under and lifeguards say he was not breathing when pulled out. Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken, but Mallett was pronounced deceased at the Destin Emergency Room.
Mallett was hired by White Hall in February of last year after spending two years at Mountain Home and serving as the Bombers’ offensive coordinator in 2021. He helped Mountain Home to a record of 11-14 and two trips to the playoffs.
Mountain Home head coach Steve Ary says in the time Mallett was at Mountain Home, he developed some great relationships with the team and the community.
Ary says Mallett’s love for the game of football was evident, but he also had love for the kids he coached.
Mallett is also a former University of Arkansas quarterback who played for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.
Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek posted on Twitter the university “lost an incredibly special person today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and teammates of Ryan Mallett.”
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