Tennille Adams -- Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Northwestern University Wildcats

(as of basketball season 2009-10) Tennille Adams enters her first season (08-09) with the Wildcats, after most recently coaching at American University.
While at American, Adams was responsible for all aspects of recruiting. She also was involved in the development of post players and the point person for academic affairs and external relations within the basketball program.
Adams, a standout at the University of Arkansas, began her coaching career in 2004 as an assistant at Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas, before taking a similar position at North Carolina A&T State. She spent two years with the Aggies in Greensboro, N.C., before making the move to Washington D.C.
As a student-athlete at Arkansas, Adams was a member of the 1997-1998 Final Four team and the 1998-99 WNIT Championship team.

Wally Ake -- Defensive Assistant Coach, Liberty University

(as of football season 2009) Wally Ake was named assistant coach at Liberty on February 28, 2009. Prior to that he was the secondary coach at Army from December 18, 2003 through the 2008 season.
Ake served four seasons (1997-2000) as defensive coordinator at the University of Maryland and three at Western Michigan (2001-2003). In 1998, the Terrapins featured one of the most improved defenses in the NCAA, finishing in the top 20 in total defense (12th), scoring defense (13th) and passing defense (14th).
Ake previously handled defensive coordinator duties at Rice University (1994-96), continuing an association with head coach Ken Hatfield that spanned 15 seasons and four different institutions. Ake was a member of a Southwestern (SWC) Co-Championship in 1994, helping the Owls rank in the NCAA Top 25 in four defensive categories.
Ake also served on Hatfield's staffs at Clemson University (1990-93), the University of Arkansas (1984-89) and the U.S. Air Force Academy (1981-83).
While with the Clemson Tigers, Ake directed inside linebackers on the nation's top defense in 1990 and the country's best rushing defense in 1991.
As defensive line coach at Arkansas, Ake produced a rush defense that twice ranked in the top 10 nationally (No. 4 in 1988; No. 7 in 1987). Ake was part of Razorback squads that made six straight bowl appearances. During his stint at Air Force, Ake worked with the defensive line. He began his collegiate coaching career as William and Mary's linebacker's coach in 1979 before serving as a volunteer coach at Arkansas in 1980.
A native of Falls Church, Va., Ake was a two-time All-Southern Conference linebacker at William & Mary. He helped the Tribe capture the 1970 Southern Conference title and a berth in the Tangerine Bowl. Ake graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education and recreation.

Darrel Akerfelds -- Bullpen Coach, San Diego Padres

(as of baseball season 2010) 2006 marked Akerfelds' fifth full season as Padres bullpen coach...opened 2001 as pitching coach at Triple-A Portland, but was named bullpen coach on June 11 when Greg Booker assumed the role of pitching coach... the winner of the Padres' 1998 Jack Krol Award for excellence in player development, Akerfelds coached at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2000 after serving at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga the previous two years...he joined the Padres at Single-A Clinton in 1997.

PLAYING CAREER
Retired in 1995 after 12 professional seasons in the Athletics, Indians, Rangers, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays and Angels organizations...Akerfelds made 125 Major League appearances (13 starts) with Oakland (1986), Cleveland (1987), Texas (1989) and Philadelphia (1990-91), posting a career 9-10 record and a 5.08 ERA...he also pitched in Taiwan in 1994.

PERSONAL
Darrel Wayne Akerfelds...attended the University of Arkansas, where he was a linebacker for the Razorbacks football team before moving on to Mesa State College in Grand Junction, CO, where he concentrated on baseball...graduated from Columbine High School in Littleton, CO. Akerfelds is a Former Hog Great.

Joseph Anders -- Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Arizona State Wildcats

(as of basketball season 2009-10) For Joseph Anders, very little has ever come to him without hard work. His willingness to work hard has helped Anders to success at every stop in his career, which has spanned more than 20 years and included a six-year stint as the head men's basketball coach at Cal State Sacramento.
After graduating from Arkansas-Monticello with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1980, Anders took his first coaching position at his alma mater, spending one season as a student assistant for his college coach and adviser Doug Barnes.
From there, Anders moved on to Wilmar (Ark.) High School where he was the assistant coach of the boys' team in 1982. He was then hired as a full-time teacher and became athletics director and head coach of the boys' and girls' basketball teams and track and field teams. While at Wilmar, Anders was named Arkansas Class B Coach of the Year, helped guide the boys' team to the 1982 state title and led the girls to a runner-up finish at the 1984 state tournament.
After three years at Wilmar, Anders had the opportunity to return to the collegiate ranks and spent one season as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program at the University of Arkansas. From Arkansas, he joined the men's basketball staff at Sacramento State University in 1985. After one season as an assistant at Sacramento State, he was promoted to interim head coach in December of 1986.
After Sacramento State, Anders served two seasons at Northern Arizona as a men's assistant coach (1992-94). It was there where he met current ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne, who served as the Lumberjacks' women's coach from 1993-96. During his tenure at NAU, the Lumberjacks posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in over a decade.
Following his stint at NAU, Anders returned to the women's game, spending two years as an assistant at Mississippi State from (1994-96), four seasons at New Mexico State (1996-00), and one year at East Carolina before coming to ASU.
When the call came from Turner Thorne about the opportunity to join her Sun Devil family, Anders says it was the culmination of something the two coaches had talked about for quite a while.

Mike Anderson -- Head Men's Basketball Coach, University of Missouri Tigers

(as of basketball season 2009-10) Mike Anderson was named the head basketball coach at Missouri on March 26, 2006 after four seasons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
In his first season at UAB, Anderson guided the Blazers to the best single-season improvement in school history. UAB finished last season with a 21-13 record overall and an 8-8 Conference USA record, which was good enough to finish second in the National Division. For his efforts he was named the Conference USA Ray Meyer Coach of the Year recipient for 2003-04.
After graduating from the University of Tulsa in 1982, Anderson tried his hand in the teaching profession as a substitute teacher while keeping his hand on his true desire - coaching basketball. He knew that he wanted to get back into the college basketball scene and that is when he called Richardson to inquire about a vacancy as the volunteer assistant coach at Tulsa. Richardson agreed and it was the beginning of a long tenure between the two coaches.
Anderson spent two years as the volunteer assistant coach. During his stint with the Golden Hurricane, UT had a combined record of 50-12 and made two NCAA tournament appearances.
When Richardson left Tulsa to become head coach at Arkansas, he quickly made the decision to keep Anderson on his staff.
It turned out to be a worthy decision for the both of them. For the next 14 years, Anderson was an assistant coach at Arkansas, and the final five as an assistant head coach.
Anderson quickly moved up the ranks within the Arkansas staff after initially joining the program as a volunteer assistant in 1985-86. After a year as a part-time assistant (1987), Anderson became a full-time assistant the following season.
During Anderson's 13 years as a full-time assistant coach, the Razorbacks posted an overall record of 338-129 (.724), won a national championship (1994), earned a national runner-up finish (1995) and advanced to the Final Four three times (1990, '94, '95).

Tom Aspel -- Head Women's Cross Country Coach, Arkansas Tech University Golden Suns

(as of 2008-09 school year)

Education:

High School:
De LaSalle High School (Waterford, Ireland) 1973

College:
University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas), Bachelor of Science, 1978
Arkansas Tech University (Russellville, Arkansas), Master of Science, 1980

Coaching Experience:
Coach Aspel began his coaching career in 1978 at Arkansas Tech University as the head track coach. He served in that position from 1978-1986. Aspel took the reigns as head cross country coach at Tech in 1994. He also has experience within the United States Track and Field program and the Amateur Athletic Union track program.

At Tech:
Coach Aspel has worked to make the Arkansas Tech cross country program one of the best in the Gulf South Conference since Tech joined the league in 1995. In their first GSC Meet in 1995, the Golden Suns finished 10th. Since then, Tech has finished sixth in 1996, fifth in 1997, fifth in 1998, fifth in 1999, third in 2000 and third in 2001. In 2002, the Suns finished 10th in the GSC Meet. 

Page last updated: 11/10/09