Lion Pride Spotlight introduces the people who shape the culture and success of Gravette School District. Each feature focuses on a member of our staff whose work reflects the values of our schools and the strength of our community. This series offers a closer look at their path, their role, and the impact they have on students and colleagues alike. This time, we’re featuring Andrew Vire, Director of Athletics. Mr. Vire is helping lead Gravette athletics into the future with clarity, consistency, and care for every student-athlete.
Andrew Vire began as Director of Athletics for Gravette Schools at the beginning of the 2024–2025 school year, succeeding Norman Mitchell, who retired after 19 years of service to the district. Vire oversees all aspects of athletics programs, including budgeting, scheduling, coach support, facility planning, and event operations, all while maintaining a consistent presence at student competitions. Mr. Vire believes athletics offers students one of the most effective ways to develop character for success in all areas of life. Through athletic competitions, students learn to take responsibility, manage expectations, handle victory or loss with maturity, and respond to challenges with purpose. He sees athletics as a training ground for adulthood, where students grow into capable, grounded individuals prepared for the realities of life after school.
Andrew Vire grew up in Lamar, Arkansas, where he attended school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. From the time he could walk, his favorite sports were baseball and basketball. He pursued Engineering at Arkansas Tech University and ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Mathematics and Social Studies. Vire began his coaching career in college with youth baseball in Lamar and a volunteer internship at Dover. He went on to coach multiple sports at Little Rock Christian Academy, contribute to state tournament teams, and serve as an assistant at Gravette. He then spent six years at Dover as Head Boys Basketball Coach and Athletics Director before returning to Gravette to lead the district’s athletic program.
As Athletics Director, Andrew Vire prioritizes the success of every student-athlete regardless of sport, and promotes a unified culture where programs work together to support shared goals, values, and opportunities. Even though he no longer coaches directly, Mr. Vire still values building personal connections with students by attending events, learning names, and offering direct encouragement. Vire sees student interaction as essential to building trust and reinforcing effort. He also supports coaches, helping align programs under a shared vision of what’s best for all Gravette athletes.
Gravette Schools have extraordinarily high quality facilities for a district of its size, which greatly benefits the broader Gravette community. Hosting visiting teams and families from across the region brings increased traffic to local restaurants, shops, and services, boosting the local economy. Andrew Vire emphasizes the importance of being a welcoming, capable host for guests, and elevating the profile of Gravette.
For Andrew Vire, finding success is not about chasing perfection or measuring outcomes by wins alone. It is about steady growth, honest effort, and learning how to respond to adversity. He believes athletics prepares students to face life with resilience, to lead with character, and to carry themselves with pride in both victory and defeat. It’s a view shaped by his own years on the court and field, with lessons in resilience and supportive coaches that shaped his leadership style. Today, Andrew Vire enjoys life with his family; his wife, Amanda, a first-grade teacher at Glenn A. Duffy Elementary, their two young boys, and a third child expected this August.