Jan. 12, 2007

Courtesy: American Football Coaches Association

SAN ANTONIO, TX-- Ken Sparks, head football coach at Carson-Newman College, will lead the American Football Coaches Association in 2007 as president of the organization.

Sparks, who moves up from first vice-president of the Association, succeeds outgoing president Mel Tjeerdsma of Northwest Missouri State University. Sparks was elected president by members attending the Associations 2007 convention this week in San Antonio.

"It is a real privilege for me to be president of an organization that is associated with the greatest profession in the world," Sparks said. "The sport of football does so much for the youth of America, that I want to make it a responsibility to enhance all of the possibilities this profession has to offer. I want to encourage coaches, to the best of my ability, because we each have an awesome responsibility to affect the lives of many young people."

The AFCA, founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others, has more than 10,000 members from all levels of the profession. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession, " and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching."

In addition to Sparks, 2007 AFCA officers include first vice-president Tyrone Willingham of the University of Washington; second vice-president Dick Tomey of San Jose State University and third vice-president Larry Kehres of Mount Union College.

Also serving on the Board in 2007: Rob Ash, Drake University; Mike Bellotti, University of Oregon; Tim Murphy, Harvard University; Joe Glenn, University of Wyoming; Joe Novak, Northern Illinois University; Tommy Tuberville, Auburn University; Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia University; Mike Welch, Ithaca College; Jim Tressel, Ohio State University and Rob Ianello, University of Notre Dame, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee. Mack Brown, University of Texas, Lee Owens, Ashland University and Jim Grobe, Wake Forest University and are newly-elected members of the Board this year. AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.

Sparks is the first coach from Carson-Newman to serve as president of the AFCA. He was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2000. He is the second coach from a Division II school in as many years to serve as AFCA President, following Northwest Missouri State's Mel Tjeerdsma in 2006.

Since becoming head coach at Carson-Newman in 1980, Sparks has built the Eagles football program into one of the nation's elite, first at the NAIA level and now in NCAA Division II. In 27 years, Sparks has led Carson-Newman to five NAIA national titles (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989), four national runner-up finishes, 18 South Atlanctic Conference championships and 20 NAIA or NCAA Division II playoff appearances.

Sparks' overall collegiate head coaching record is a staggering 259-62-2, easily making him the most successful head coach in Carson-Newman history in terms of wins and winning percentage. With those 259 victories, Sparks sits first in Division II and fourth in all divisions among active coaches in terms of total wins, trailing only John Gagliardi of St. Johns (443), Bobby Bowden of Florida State (366) and Joe Paterno of Penn State (363).

Sparks' success on the field has not gone unnoticed. He was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1984 and has been voted South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year 11 times. Sparks was named Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Coach of the Year, American Football Coach magazine Division II Coach of the Year and Tennessee Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year in 1999 after leading the Eagles to a 13-1 record and a second consecutive appearance in the Division II national championship game. He also earned AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors in 1997 after the Eagles went 11-1 and made an appearance in the Division II semifinals.

Sparks began his coaching career at Gibbs High School in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1968 as a head coach. After two years, he moved on as a quarterback and receivers coach at Tennessee Tech for one year before spending one season as Morristown (Tenn.) East High School head coach. In 1972, Sparks returned to his alma mater, Carson-Newman, as offensive coordinator and head track coach. While he was the offensive coordinator, the Eagles made their first-ever trip to the NAIA national title game in 1972. After five years with the Eagles program, Sparks returned to the high school ranks as a head coach at Farragut (Tenn.) High School from 1977 to 1979 before returning to Carson-Newman as head coach in 1980.

Sparks is a member of the Carson-Newman Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He has received the All-America Football Foundation's Johnny Vaught Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and was named to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.