UCA Bears Football: New Coaches, New Players, Same Expectations

Offseason Changes Don’t Alter Goals or Expectations

for UCA Bears Football Team: Win

By Simon Lee

Calling the same guy “Coach” for 14 years at one school is rare these days in college football, but when former UCA Bears football coach Clint Conque announced his resignation at the end of the season last year, it was a bit of a surprise for many.

Conque resigned to accept the same position at Stephen F. Austin, catching many Bears fans and watchers off guard.

During his 14 years in Conway, Conque compiled a 105-59 record, won three conference championships, led the Bears to two Division I FCS Playoffs and consistently had his teams in the national Top 25, peaking at No. 6 to start the 2013 season.

Dr. Brad Teague, Central Arkansas’ Director of Athletics, said at the time of Conque’s resignation: “We appreciate the 14 years Coach Conque dedicated to UCA and Conway. UCA has a longstanding championship tradition, and Clint Conque continued this tradition and led us into our Division I era with great success, and for that we are thankful.”

“UCA is and always has been a very strong athletics program, and football is a cornerstone of this strength and has been for many decades. The University of Central Arkansas has quickly become one of the nation’s preeminent Division I FCS programs, and because of that there will be considerable interest from quality candidates who will not only continue, but build upon this institution’s standard of success both in academics and athletic achievements. I can assure our current student-athletes and fans that we will continue the UCA way of winning on and off the field.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our next head football coach. There are precious few jobs around the country that combine our type of quality institution, a nationally-respected football program, and a winning athletics program situated on a vibrant, beautiful campus in a fabulous city with great people…”

True words, indeed. Conway, in Faulkner County, is one of the fastest growing areas of Arkansas. Its economy is diverse and to view the city as a central Arkansas bedroom community to its larger neighbors in the area – North Little Rock and Little Rock – would be inaccurate. Conway’s “great people,” as Dr. Teague calls them, are also progressive in their thinking and actions.

In an effort to tie together economic and community growth, the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce developed a five-year strategic plan that was announced in 2010, outlining objectives covering 2011-2015. Part of the plan prominently featured the culture of sports in area.

Look at this record of winning for the UCA Bear football team. These are the years the school won conference titles at one division or another: 1939, 1959, 1960, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2008, 2012.

The conference championships won between 1979 and 1992 were as members of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC), an NAIA Division I conference.

The 2005 conference championship was as a member of the Gulf South Conference, an NCAA Division II conference.

The 2008 and 2012 conference titles were as a member of the Southland Conference, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

UCA has three National Championship titles and trophies, too – 1984, 1985, 1991 – all at the NAIA level.

So, what does one do when the time has come to replace a football coach who set high, winning expectations? UCA finds one who may be new to town but knows how to hoist championship  trophies himself – Steve Campbell.

Here’s a quick look at new UCA head football coach Steve Campbell’s bio:

• Former head coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with a 79-20 record while at the school who enters his 25th year in college coaching
• MGCCC Under Steve Campbell: CO-NJCAA National Champs, 3 MACJC State Titles (2007, 2008, 2010), 6 MACJC South Division Titles (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012), 6 Bowl trips
• Has Coached 27 NJCAA All-Americans & 17 NJCAA Academic All-Americans At MGCCC
• Led 2007 Bulldogs to 12-0 record, NJCAA Co-National Title, MACJC State Title, and MACJC South Division Title
• MACJC Coach of the Year (2005, 2007, 2011)
• Region 23 Coach of the Year (2007, 2008, 2010)
• MAC Coach of the Year (2010, 2012)
• 2007 Awards: Schutt Coach of the Year, Region 23 Coach of the Year, NJCAA Co National Coach of the Year, MACJC Coaching Staff of the Year
• 2008 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Distinguished American Award Recipient
• 1999-2001: Delta State head football coach (27-8 Record, highest win percentage in school history, Coached five All-Americans & Conerly Trophy winner at DSU
• Led DSU to 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship
• Was named 2000 National Coach of the Year by Chevrolet, All-American Football Foundation, and Don Hansen Football Gazette
• 1997-98: Southwest Mississippi Community College head football coach (Led Southwest to its first winning season in 10 years)
• 1998, 2004, 2006 MACJC All-Star head coach (South Team)
• Served as assistant coach at Mississippi State, Middle Tennessee State, Nicholls State, and Delta State
• 1987: All-Conference center on Troy State University’s NCAA Division II National Championship team
• Master’s Degree: Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.
• Bachelor’s Degree: Troy State University, Troy, Ala.
• High School: Tate High School, Gonzalez, Fla.

This new guy knows how to win. Here are his thoughts on his team as the Bears wrapped up its first spring football season under Campbell.

“The attitude of the guys has been outstanding,” Campbell said. “I’ve been very pleased with their work ethic – the way they’ve responded to all the changes we’ve made. They’ve definitely bought into all of it. And the thing I really like about this group is they are a hungry group. They want to do well. They know we have a big challenge in front of us but they haven’t blinked at any turn so far. And that’s encouraging.

“They had a really good offseason program, they had a good agility session before we went into spring practice, and they worked hard during spring drills. Each phase, they’ve attacked with a really good mentality. I’ve been very pleased with this group’s work ethic.”

In the final practice of the spring – the annual Purple and Gray Game – he Bears ran just under 100 plays for fans at First Security Field at Estes Stadium, and the pace pleased Campbell.

Campbell said the young defense needs to mature over the summer before the season opener on Aug. 30 at Texas Tech.

“We’re going to be young on defense,” Campbell said, “there’s no doubt about it. We were definitely hit harder on defense by graduation than on offense. But a lot of those guys did get thrown in the fire last year because of injury, so that helps us out this year. But there’s definitely more experience returning on offense than defense.”

The Bears’ defense will be built around the experience up front, Campbell said. That includes junior defensive end Jonathan Woodard, the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2012.

“The strength of our defense right now is the line,” he said, “with Jonathan Woodard, T.J. Randall and Derek Floyd, the experienced guys. We just need to mature defensively. We’ve had some young guys step up, definitely. (Defensive back) Tirrell Wellmaker got better every day of spring, throughout camp. (Defensive back) Prince Ene got better every day. (Senior cornerback) Dominique Brown stepped up and showed a lot of talent and some leadership skills. And we’re going to need him to bring along a very young secondary.

“Blake Childress, Ricky Wyatt and D.J. Holland need to keep coming on at linebacker,” Campbell added.

The Bears open the 2014 season at FBS Texas Tech on Aug. 30 in Lubbock, Texas, with the first home game on “The Stripes” set for Sept. 6 against Tennessee-Martin.

For the complete 2014 UCA Bears football schedule, click here.

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Simon Lee is the publisher of Sporting Life Arkansas and owner of Lee & Stafford, LLC., a Little Rock company working with healthcare organizations to improve patient care through education and referral strategies. When he isn’t thinking about sports, patients or promoting his home state of Arkansas, you can find him playing a ukulele in his office.