Legendary Mountain Home Bombers football head coach Bill Breedlove’s story might have started in the Twin Lakes area back in 1974, but unknown to some, he was a powerhouse football player in his own right.
Breedlove played running back for the Arkansas Tech University in 1971 and was a part of the Wonder Boy’s NAIA National Championship game. The Wonder Boys finished as runners-up that season when he was a sophomore. By the time he was a senior in college, Breedlove was injured in the rival game with the University of Central Arkansas Bears and had to sit out the remainder of the year. In December of that season, Breedlove was at the annual ATU Christmas tournament where he was approached by a coach and asked if he wanted to be an assistant at Mountain Home.
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Breedlove’s first year as an assistant coach, under the direction of then head coach Bill Spratt, the Bombers, 26 players-strong, were 1-9 and playing larger and more powerful teams like Sylvan Hills, Paragould and Newport. Mountain Home’s only win was 28-0 over Marshall in the first game of the season. The next year, when Breedlove was moved to the head coaching position, Mountain Home football improved slight with a 2-8 record with wins over Willow Springs, Missouri and Ava, Missouri, after which he was given a $300 raise.
Then Breedlove was able to fix the schedule to play more teams adept to the Bombers skills at that time and in his third season, the Bombers were 6-4, with wins over Bald Knob (13-0), Clarksville (41-6), Yellville-Summit (42-0), Siloam Springs (24-21), Bentonville (28-0) and Batesville (14-7).
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In 1977, Breedlove’s Bombers were 9-2 and won the 1AAA conference beating West Plains, Mo. (7-0), Gravette (22-6), Newport (13-0), Subiaco Academy (24-7), Green Forest (38-0), Siloam Springs (10-9), Bentonville (28-6), Batesville (31-0) and got a key win against Harrison (16-8), which put the Bombers in the playoffs that year. The Bombers only loss in the regular season was to Barton (33-7). In the playoffs, Mountain Home lost to Van Buren in a tight game (14-7).
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Breedlove’s final season as head coach of the Bombers was in 1978. Mountain Home finished first in the 1AAA conference with wins over West Plains (27-6), Gravette (24-0) Green Forest (21-7), Salem (21-0), Siloam Springs (21-12), Bentonville (14-9), Batesville (25-14) and Harrison (16-14) when Omar Mathias kicked the winning field goal. The only losses for the Bombers that season came to Newport (15-14), Springdale (35-2) and in the playoffs to Alma (20-0).
He says he couldn’t have been a successful head coach without the help of assistants Gary Williams, Larry McNair and Barney Crawford.
Back then, Mountain Home was really a “home” for Breedlove.
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Breedlove tells a funny story about his first school board meeting he attended at Mountain Home.
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Even though that is a humorous ditty from Breedlove, he is very honored to be inducted into the Mountain Home Athletic Hall of Honor for 2026.
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The Athletic Hall of Honor kicks off at noon on Saturday with a reception followed by the official induction ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Mountain Home high school cafeteria.
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