Denise Baez -- Assistant Volleyball Coach, Purdue Boilermakers

(as of volleyball season 2002) Denise Baez enters her first year (2001) as assistant coach for Purdue volleyball. Baez's responsibilities include in-state recruiting, organizing player appearances and team compliance issues.
Baez got to know Leaton very well at Arkansas. Leaton served as the Razorbacks' assistant coach while Baez was an outside hitter. Baez's professional career also started in her Arkansas days. While a student-athlete at Arkansas, Baez coached at numerous camps, including Central Arkansas, Aracadiana Area and Arkansas. Upon graduating, she coached Sports Express, a junior volleyball team, in Mason, Ohio. While in Ohio, she also served as an assistant at Cincinnati. Baez's next job placed her in an assistant coaching position on Don Hardin's staff at Illinois. Jeff Hulsmeyer was also an Illini assistant at that time.

Bill Barnes -- Football

Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Bill Barnes played football at Central High School where he was named All-Southern his senior year.
Upon graduation Barnes was recruited by many of the top schools in the SEC, but then Major Robert R. Neyland, Athletic Director and Head Football coach at the University of Tennessee, made sure Barnes found his way to Knoxville.
During the three years Bill Barnes played for Tennessee the team lost only three regular season games. His junior year UT won 11 games before losing to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. The next year, Barnes senior season, the 1939 Tennessee team was undefeated and unscored upon in regular season play.
Following graduation and a brief stint in high school coaching, Barnes entered World War II and was assigned to the South Pacific. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star prior to his discharge in 1946 with the rank of Major.
His first college coaching position was at the University of Arkansas where he remained until 1949 when he joined Coach Red Sanders at UCLA. He served as assistant on the UCLA staff until 1958 when he was named head coach of the Bruins and served in that position until 1964. He had a record of 31-34-3 at UCLA.
He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Passed away in April 2009 at the age of 91.

John Barnhill -- Football / Athletic Director

John Henry Barnhill was born on February 21, 1903 in the Walkertown community of Hardin County, TN. He was the youngest son of James Monroe Barnhill Jr. and Margaret Alice Bryan. He married Katherine Peeler and had one daughter, Nancy. John attended school in Hardin County and graduated in 1923 from what was then called the Savannah Institute. After graduation he moved to Memphis where he attended the West Tennessee State Normal School which was later known as Memphis State University and presently known as The University of Memphis. It was at the West Tennessee State Normal School that he became known for his football talents. John played center on the school's team.  
After one year Barnhill transferred to Knoxville to play football for the University of Tennessee under Robert Neyland. In 1927 he was named Captain of the team who produced Neyland's first undefeated season. At UT Knoxville John not only excelled on the football field but also played basketball and ran track. Between 1925-1927 while he was at the University of Tennessee Knoxville Barnhill was awarded nine letters and was twice named "Volunteer Athlete of the Year". During the 1926-27 school year he was named All-Southern guard. He was chosen to play in the Los Angeles All-Star game in 1927.  
After graduation Barnhill began his coaching career on the high school level in Bristol, Tennessee . It was in Bristol where he coached University of Tennessee standout Beattie Feathers who later became a Hall of Famer and All-American.   
In 1931 John returned to his alma mater to serve as freshman coach under Robert Neyland. In 1934 he was promoted to line coach. During World War II Coach Neyland was recalled to active military duty and this gave Barnhill the opportunity to step into the position of head coach. This new position provided Barnhill with the chance to establish himself as one of the outstanding young coaches in the nation. During the four years he served at UT his winning percentage was 84.6. Between 1941-1945 the football team under the leadership of John Barnhill produced a 32-5-2 record. In 1943 UT did not field a team because of the massive buildup for World War II. In 1944 Barnhill was named the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.  
In 1946 Robert Neyland returned to his coaching duties at UT and Barnhill decided to leave UT and look for his own head coaching job. After receiving several offers John decided on the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He assumed the head Razorback post in 1949.  
Barnhill coached at the University of Arkansas for four years with a modest record of 22-17-3.  John had received many honors as a player and a coach at UT but it was in his next position as Athletic Director at the University of Arkansas that he made his most noteworthy accomplishments. Under his direction the University of Arkansas became a powerhouse in the Southwestern Conference and the nation. Barnhill has been regarded as person who made the University of Arkansas athletic program of today.  While athletic director Arkansas became a national powerhouse in football, track, basketball, and golf. Under his leadership the Arkansas football team won eight Southwest Conference titles, a national championship and was ranked in the top ten on nine occasions.  
As a tribute to the successful career of John Barnhill the University of Arkansas constructed and named their gymnasium Barnhill Arena. The Bud Walton Arena has since replaced this arena. He was named to both the Tennessee and Arkansas Halls of Fame. In 1972 John Barnhill was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the National Association of Athletic Directors.   
It is even more remarkable that Barnhill was able to achieve the successes in his career when you consider that he suffered from multiple sclerosis for many years.  When he lost the use of his right side in the 1950s he simply learned to write left-handed and remained active until his retirement in 1970.
John Barnhill died on October 21, 1973 at the age of seventy. 

Larry Beightol -- Offensive Line Coach, Detroit Lions

(as of football season 2006) Larry Beightol comes to Detroit as the Lions' new offensive line coach in 2006 after serving in the same capacity for seven seasons in Green Bay.
Entering his 22nd season coaching in the NFL, Beightol has also coached in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New York Jets, San Diego and Tampa Bay.
Before breaking into the NFL with Atlanta in 1985, Beightol coached 17 years at the collegiate level, practicing his trade at William & Mary (1968-71), North Carolina State (1972-75), Auburn (1976), Arkansas (1977-78 and, later, 1980-82), Louisiana Tech (1979 - as head coach) and Missouri (1983-84).
Beightol, a guard and linebacker himself as a collegian, played at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., from 1960-63, serving as team captain. A two-time all-conference and all-region selection, he was inducted into Catawba's sports hall of fame in 1993. After earning a B.A. degree in physical education from Catawba in 1964, Beightol went on to William & Mary and earned a master's degree in education in 1967, beginning his college coaching career at the school a year later.

Augrista Belford -- Assistant Softball Coach, Palomar College

(as of softball season 2004) 1996 Community College Player of the Year Augrista Belford returned to her alma mater in 1999 to serve as an assistant coach. She was a two-time JC All-American and two-time All-California State selection in 1995 and 1996 and holds 10 Palomar records.
Belford attended the University of Arkansas where she was named to the All-Southeastern Conference team as a junior and received her B.A. degree in Psychology from Cal State University Northridge, where she played as a member of a Big West Conference championship team.

Richard Bell -- Defensive Coordinator / Inside Linebackers Coach, Air Force Academy Falcons

(as of football season 2006) Richard Bell is in his ninth year (2004) at the Academy overall and fifth as defensive coordinator. In addition to his position coaching responsibilities, Bell assists with the kickoff and kick block teams.
Bell has been right at home at the Academy. He was named the Assistant Coach of the Year in 1998 by the American Football Coaches Association. A year prior to that, Bell was nominated by the AFA staff for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.
Bell came to the Academy from Navy, where he served as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 1994. Prior to his stint at Navy, Bell spent five seasons at Georgia as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach.
Bell is a 1959 graduate of Arkansas where he earned a degree in physical education. He earned two letters while playing varsity football for the Razorbacks and later earned a master's degree from the school in 1962. Bell's 41 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level has seen him coach in 17 postseason bowl games.
Bell began his coaching career at Virginia Military Institute as an assistant in 1962-63. He then coached linebackers at Georgia Tech from 1964-67 before becoming defensive coordinator at West Virginia in 1968. After two years with the Mountaineers, Bell moved to Texas Tech as defensive coordinator from 1970-74.
In 1975, Bell moved to South Carolina where he was the defensive coordinator from 1971-81 and head coach in 1982. He then coached at Duke (1983-87) and East Carolina (1987-88) as the defensive coordinator before going to Georgia.

Mike Bender -- Football

Bender, a native of Strong, Ark., attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville on a football scholarship. As a Razorback, Bender started on the national championship team, was selected to the All-Southwest Conference Team, was team captain his senior year and played in two Cotton Bowls and the Sugar Bowl.
With his name secure in the history books on the collegiate level, Bender moved on to the pros where he played for the Atlanta Falcons during the team's inaugural season in 1966.
Bender's career as a pro was shortened by shoulder injuries after two years.
Bender moved on to what would be a long and successful career of coaching. He paid his dues coaching in the high school ranks for eight years before landing a job as Offensive Tackle Coach at the University of Arkansas under head coach Lou Holtz.
He also coached for the University of New Mexico, the University of South Carolina, Rice University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas before coaching professionally for the Sacramento Gold Miners and the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. He took over at United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) in 2000 and coached there until 2002. Bender became the Athletic Director at Forrest City (AR) High School on March 25, 2002. He moved on to become the AD at El Dorado (AR) High School in 2007. He coached at El Dorado high school from 1974-78, compiling an 18-33-2 record.

Raymond E. Berry -- Football

b. Feb. 27, 1933, Corpus Christi, TX

Career Statistics
Hard work finally made Berry a star, but not until his third season of professional football. As an end at Southern Methodist University, he caught only 33 passes and scored 1 touchdown in 3 seasons. When he joined the Baltimore Colts in 1955, he was given little chance to make the team. However, coach "Weeb" Ewbank was impressed with Berry's practice habits and his good hands and kept him as a part-time player.
In 1957, Berry became a starting end and led the NFL in reception yardage with 800 on 47 catches, scoring 6 touchdowns. When the Colts won the league's championship in 1958, Berry led in receptions with 56 and in touchdown receptions with 9, gaining 794 yards. He had an additional 12 catches for 194 yards and 1 touchdown in the Colts' celebrated 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants in the NFL title game.
Berry led the league in 1959 with 74 receptions, 959 yards, and 14 touchdowns, and led in receptions with 74 and yards with 1,298 the following season before undergoing knee surgery. Because of the operation, he was used primarily as a possession receiver for the rest of his career. In 1961, he caught 75 passes, his career high, but gained only 873 yards and didn't score.
Berry retired after catching only 11 passes in 1967. He held NFL records, since broken, with 631 receptions and 9,275 yards. He caught 68 touchdown passes.
Berry took over as head coach of the New England Patriots in 1984. The Patriots got into the playoffs as a wild-card team in 1985 and won three games on the road to reach the Super Bowl, where they were demolished 46-10 by the Chicago Bears. They won the AFC Eastern Division title in 1986 but lost to the Denver Broncos in the first round of the playoffs. Berry resigned during the 1989 season with a 51-41 record.

Formed exceptional pass-catch team with Johnny Unitas ... Caught then-record 631 passes for 9,275 yards, 68 touchdowns ... All-NFL in 1958, 1959, 1960 ... Played in five Pro Bowl games ... Set NFL title game mark with 12 catches for 178 yards in 1958 overtime game.

High School: Paris (TX) ... Drafted: 20th round (232nd overall) by Baltimore Colts in 1954.

Assistant coach at Arkansas from 1970-71.

SMU, Football, '55; Inducted into SMU HOF: '93

*Graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in business administration, 1955.

*Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Brock Berryhill -- Secondary Coach, Montana St. University Bobcats

(as of football season 2004) Berryhill moved to the secondary in 2004 after coaching Bobcat receivers in 2003. A 1996 Boise State graduate, Berryhill coached the secondary at Southeast Oklahoma State in 2002. He also worked as linebackers coach at Tulsa in 2000-01, and was Cal Poly's secondary coach in 1999. He served as a graduate assistant at Arkansas (1998-99) and Boise State (1996-97), and has served as recruiting coordinator in his previous three stops.

Clifford Blackburn -- Football

Clifford Blackburn lettered at Arkansas in 1923 & 1924 and was an All-SWC End in '24. He went on to become an assistant coach at Hendrix from 1925-29 before moving to North Little Rock (AR) High School as athletic director from 1929-34. He left coaching in 1934 to become superintendent of schools at Paragould (AR).
Mr. Blackburn passed away in October 1978.

Brandan Blew -- Running Backs Coach, Tennessee State University

(as of football season 2004) Brandan Blew spent the 2004 season at Tennessee State University. He decided to enter the coaching profession after working at the Houston Nutt Summer Camps at the University of Arkansas. He spent three seasons season (2001-03) as a graduate assistant on the San José State University staff working with the defensive unit.
Blew spent 2000 as an administrative assistant for the University of Arkansas football staff. He helped the quarterbacks coach and special teams coordinator with off-the-field duties.
The graduate of the University of Arkansas received his bachelor's degree in 1998 majoring in Exercise Science. He earned his master's degree in 2000 in sports administration.

Kirk Botkin -- Defensive Ends Coach, University of Arkansas

Former Razorback tight end Kirk Botkin returned to Fayetteville as the defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator in 2008. He resigned following the 2009 season. Botkin was a four-year letterman for the Razorbacks from 1990-93, and finished his career with 87 receptions for 819 yards and five touchdowns. He earned All-SEC honors as both a junior and a senior and served as a team captain in 1993. Botkin is also a member of the Razorbacks 1990-99 All-Decade Team.
Botkin joins Petrino's staff after two seasons (2006-07) coaching the linebackers and special teams at Louisiana-Monroe. Prior to his coaching stint at ULM, Botkin spent five years (2001-05) as an assistant at Jacksonville [Ala.] State University under former Razorback coach Jack Crowe. His final two years at Jacksonville State were spent as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach. Botkin coached tight ends and offensive tackles during his first three years at JSU.

Byron Boudreaux -- Assistant Basketball Coach, Utah Snowbears (ABA)

(as of basketball season 2004-05) Byron Boudreaux joined the Utah Snowbears of the ABA after one season on Stan Heath's staff at the University of Arkansas as an assistant coach (March 17, 2002 to May 8, 2003).
Boudreaux spent seven seasons in Seattle after working the 1994 and 1995 seasons as an assistant at Oral Roberts. He was the associate head coach at Washington in 2001 and 2002.
Boudreaux, a native of Lafayette, La., who earned his bachelor's in physical education from the University of Tulsa in 1987, began his coaching career as an assistant at Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., from 1991-93. Boudreaux played four years at Tulsa, lettering from 1984-87, and is the school's all-time career assists leader with 457.
At Washington, Boudreaux served as the recruiting coordinator and helped supervise the academic progress of the players. In his seven seasons, the Huskies advanced to post-season play four times, playing in the NIT in 1996 and 1997, and the NCAA Tournament in 1998 and 1999.
The 1996 NIT appearance was the first post-season appearance for Washington in nine seasons. The 1998 team was the first Huskie squad to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament since 1984.
At Arkansas, Boudreaux worked with the post players and monitored the academic progress of the Razorbacks.
As a player, Boudreaux led the Golden Hurricane with 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals while scoring 9.7 points a game in leading UT to the 1986 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In 1987, he led the team with 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals while scoring 6.4 points in helping Tulsa win the MVC regular season title and earn another trip to the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 assists as a freshman and 4.6 points and 2.7 assists as a sophomore.
In his four years at Tulsa, his teams were 27-4, 23-8, 23-9 and 22-8, respectively. Boudreaux played for former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson in 1984 and 1985, and for J.D. Barnett in 1986 and 1987.

Pat Bradley -- Assistant Coach, Arkansas RimRockers (NBADL)

(as of basketball season 2006-07) Named an assistant coach for the Arkansas RimRockers (NBADL) in the middle of the 2005-06 season. He was the Director of Player Personnel prior to being named an assistant coach.

Jesse Branch -- Head Coach, Henderson State University Reddies

(as of football season 2004) A native of Pine Bluff, Branch graduated from Watson Chapel High School in 1959. He attended college at the University of Arkansas, where he won two letters as an offensive and defensive back. He earned All-Southwest Conference honors as a senior in 1963 and graduated in 1964. Branch played two seasons for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, leading the league in punt returns in 1964.
In 1966, he took his first coaching position, serving as running backs coach at Mississippi State. After one season in Starkville, he went to Kansas State and was the Wildcats' secondary coach from 1967-72. He then spent the 1972 season as the defensive coordinator at the University of Oregon before moving to offensive coordinator in 1973.
He returned to Kansas State for the 1974 season, serving as assistant head coach and defensive line coach. In 1975, Branch went back to Fayetteville and spent the next 11 seasons working with everything from wide receivers to running backs to defensive backs to quarterbacks. He worked under Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield during his tenure as an assistant coach at Arkansas, and the Razorbacks made nine bowl appearances during that time.
Branch left the University of Arkansas in 1986 to become the head coach at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. In his nine seasons at SMS, Branch compiled an overall record of 55-44-1. He is the only head coach in school history to win two conference titles and have five consecutive winning seasons. He was the Gateway Conference and Kodak Regional coach of the year in 1989 and 1990, leading the Bears to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in both of those seasons.
Branch left the coaching profession in 1995 to return to his alma mater. His duties as the Razorbacks' associate athletic director included serving as the compliance coordinator, working with the Razorback Foundation and serving as the administrative supervisor for academic support and student life.
Branch retired from that position on Sept. 15, 2000. He and his wife, Lee Ann, moved back to Springfield, but it did not take long for Branch to realize that he wanted to get back into collegiate athletics. More specifically, he wanted to coach again. He applied for the vacant job at Henderson State and was hired as the Reddies' 17th head coach on May 22, 2001.

Tommy Brasher -- Defensive Line Coach, Philadelphia Eagles

(as of football season 2005) Tommy Brasher (pronounced BRAY-zure) is in his second tour of duty with the Eagles after being named the club's defensive line coach on 1/22/99. Brasher served in the same capacity with the Birds in 1985 as a member of then-head coach Marion Campbell's staff.
Under Brasher's guidance in 2000, the defensive line became one of the strengths as the unit accounted for 41 of the team's 50 sacks (6th in the NFL). DE Hugh Douglas earned a starting nod in the Pro Bowl with a career-high 15 sacks, while first round draft pick DT Corey Simon exploded onto the scene in the NFL with a rookie club record 9.5 sacks.
Prior to joining the Birds, Brasher enjoyed a successful seven-year stint as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive line coach.
During his tenure in Seattle, Brasher saw two of his lineman - defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy and defensive end Michael Sinclair - earn multiple Pro Bowl appearances. Kennedy was selected following the 1992-96 and 1998 seasons, while Sinclair was voted in after the 1996-98 seasons. Kennedy was also named defensive player of the year in 1992.
In addition to serving as the Eagles' defensive line coach in 1985, Brasher also held identical posts at New England (1982-84), Atlanta (1986-89), and Tampa Bay (1990). In his one season with the Eagles, two of his defensive ends notched 13 sacks apiece - Greg Brown and a rookie named Reggie White.
An all-conference selection himself as a linebacker at Arkansas from 1962-63, Brasher was a college teammate of Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones and former Dolphins and Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson.
After beginning his coaching career with a six-year stint on the high school level, Brasher's alma mater provided him with his first collegiate coaching assignment when he became the Razorbacks defensive assistant in 1970. He sandwiched stops at Virginia Tech (1971), NE Louisiana (1974, 1976), and Southern Methodist (1977-81) around a one-year stint as the defensive coordinator of the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer in 1975.
Born on 12/30/40, Brasher attended El Dorado High in his hometown and birthplace of El Dorado, AR.

Don Breaux -- Offensive Coordinator, Washington Redskins

(as of football season 2007) Don Breaux returned to Washington in 2004 for his second tour, having coached the Redskins running backs from 1981-1993. He brings 24 years of NFL coaching experience to Joe Gibbs' staff, and a proven track record of bringing out the best abilities in his offensive players.
As running backs coach for Gibbs in Washington beginning in 1981, Don coached three different players to a total of seven 1,000-yard seasons with John Riggins, George Rogers and Earnest Byner each producing back-to-back seasons of more than 1,000 yards rushing. While with the Redskins, Don earned three Super Bowl rings, coaching three different backs in the championship: Riggins in 1982, Timmy Smith in 1987 and Byner in 1991. Riggins was named MVP of Super XVII, and Smith set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards rushing in Super Bowl XXII.
After leaving the Redskins, Don spent the 1994 season as the New York Jets tight ends coach before joining the Panthers in 1995.
Success has not come to Don only on the pro level. Prior to joining the Redskins in 1981, he coached 14 years on the collegiate level with teams that made 12 postseason appearances, working at Arkansas, Texas, Florida and Florida State. During those years, he made his NFL coaching debut as the Houston Oilers running backs coach in 1972.
Don enjoyed a stellar playing career as a quarterback at McNeese State before playing for Denver of the AFL in 1963 and San Diego from 1964-65. For his pro career, he completed 92 of 181 passes for 1,339 yards and nine touchdowns, including four touchdown passes in a game for the Broncos. Born August 3, 1940 in Jennings, LA, he attended LaGrange HS in Lake Charles.
Quarterback McNeese State 1959-61. Pro quarterback Denver Broncos 1963, San Diego Chargers 1964-65. College coach: Florida State 1966-67, Arkansas 1968-71, 1977-80, Florida 1973-74, Texas 1975-76. Pro coach: Houston Oilers 1972, Washington Redskins 1981-93, New York Jets 1994, joined Panthers in 1995.

Ron Brewer -- Head Basketball Coach, Arkansas ArchAngels (WBA)

(as of basketball season 2005) Ron was named the inaugural head coach for the Arkansas ArchAngels of the World Basketball Association on March 11, 2005 and led them to a 16-9 record. Previously Brewer was hired as head coach of the Fresno Heatwave (ABA) on September 2, 2004 and led his team to a 4-9 record before it folded. Ron attended and played basketball at the University of Arkansas where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and was the first two time All-American before being drafted. Ron played for 9 years in the NBA with San Antonio, Portland, Cleveland and Golden State and was a 1st round draft pick by the Trailblazers in 1978. After his NBA career, he returned and received his BA in Technology Education. Ron has been dedicated to coaching boys and girls AAU basketball in Arkansas.

J. Frank Broyles

Earl Buckingham -- Assistant Offensive Line Coach / Tight Ends, San Jose St. University Spartans

(as of football season 2004) Coach Buckingham has been in the coaching profession for 21 years and is in his fourth season ('04) at San Jose State. For the first time in 12 seasons, he is back on the offensive side of the ball coaching the tight ends and assisting with the offensive line.
After the 2003 season, Buckingham was one of 20 ethnic minority football coaches selected to participate in the first NCAA Advanced Coaching Program, a component of the recently created NCAA Coaches Academy. The Coaches Academy is a NCAA initiative that addresses the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head coaching positions in the sport of football.
Buckingham played his college football at the University of Arkansas. He was an All-Southwest Conference defensive lineman for the Razorbacks in 1982. Arkansas played in a bowl game every year he was on the team.
A marketing major, he was the only football player in his class to earn a bachelor's degree in four years. Buckingham went on to complete his master's degree in student personnel at Northwestern State University in 1991.

Rick Butler -- Special Teams Assistant, Nashville Kats (AFL)

(as of football season 2006) Rick Butler, an eight-year veteran of the college coaching ranks, moved into the Arena Football League as a special teams assistant in 2006.   
Butler most recently served as the offensive line coach at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., in 2005. Before that, he spent one season as defensive coordinator at the University of West Alabama, and also served as the program's recruiting coordinator.
The Germantown, Tenn., native spent six years at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., originally starting out as offensive coordinator in 1998. He then moved to defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator in time for the 2000 season, and served in that capacity for the next three years.
Butler was the head football coach at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro in 1996 and '97, and he was also the head coach at Northeast High School in Clarksville, Tenn., and Cheatham County High School.
Butler spent his playing days as a walk-on at the University of Arkansas, where he received his B.S. in Communications in 1986.

Daryl Byrd -- Assistant Baseball Coach, McNeese State University Cowboys

(as of baseball season 2004) Daryl Byrd spent one year (2003) as an assistant on the Hutchinson (KS.) Community College Blue Dragon Baseball staff before moving to McNeese State. He comes to HCC after serving as the volunteer coach at the University of Arkansas.  He will work with Blue Dragon hitters, outfielders and catchers. He will also be in charge of the base running and will coach first base. Coach Byrd also oversees the strength and conditioning program for the baseball program.
At the University of Arkansas, Coach Byrd was in charge of the outfield and base running. He also served as the first base coach for the Razorbacks. Arkansas reached post-season play for the first time since 1999 during Coach Byrd's first season.  They won the Mid-West Regional in Wichita and competed in the Super-Regionals at Clemson University. The Razorbacks fell one game short of Omaha, as they lost to Clemson on consecutive days after winning the first game of the series, 9-6.
Coach Byrd played college baseball at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated in May of 2000, with a BS in Physical Education.  Coach Byrd lettered four years for the Bulldogs, and was a three-year starter as outfielder and catcher.  During his four year career the Bulldogs won 2 Southern Conference Regular season championships and 3 Southern Conference titles. He competed in 3 regionals during his four year career, which is the first time that happened at The Citadel.

Page last updated: 1/6/10