Deron Clark -- Head Baseball Coach, Paris (TX) Junior College Dragons

(as of baseball season 2012) Coach Clark enters his 15th season as the Dragons' skipper. Clark continues to build tradition and pride in Paris Junior College baseball, which has developed into a tradition of success for the Dragons program.
Coach Clark began his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant to Norm DeBriyn with the University of Arkansas. Following the '88 season, Clark moved to Dallas, TX. where he became the pitching coach for Northwood University. After three successful seasons with the Knights, Deron moved to San Jacinto College in Houston before becoming the Head Coach at Texarkana College in the summer of 1995. His three year campaign with Texarkana saw the Bulldogs compete in one NJCAA Regional and finish in the top four in the conference all three seasons. The Dragons placed Clark on staff in May of 1997 which returned Clark to his Junior College Alma Mater where he was an '84 graduate and member of the '83-'84 baseball teams.

Doug Clark -- Head Cross Country Coach, University of Memphis Tigers

(as of cross country / track season 2009-10) Doug Clark was named head cross country coach at Memphis on August 18, 2009.
Clark came to Memphis with over 20 years of coaching experience, coaching NCAA Division 1 All-Americans in the 1500m, Mile, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, distance medley relay and cross country.
In Clark's last five seasons at Kansas, the men's cross country team had four All-Americans. Clark's men's cross country team at Kansas finished 12th at the 2005 NCAA Championships and 20th at the 2006 NCAA Championships. He mentored three consecutive Big 12 Champions from 2004-06. He also coached Kansas alumnus Charlie Gruber to a second-place finish at the 2004 Olympic Trials, earning Gruber a place on the 2004 USA Olympic Team in the 1,500 meter run.
Prior to his nine year tenure at Kansas, Clark was an assistant coach at Tulsa under current Kansas coach Stanley Redwine from 1994-2000. While at Tulsa, Clark's teams held school records in the women's 1,000 meters, mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, distance medley relay, 4x800-meter relay and 1,500 meters as well as the men's 800 meters, mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 1,500 meters, 3,000 meter steeplechase and distance medley relay. Dwight Davis became the first All-American in Tulsa track history under the direction of Clark.
In 1994 while at UTEP, Clark assisted the Miners to a No. 3 finish in the nation during the 1994 indoor season and national runner-up honors during the 1994 outdoor championships. Clark also coached former UTEP track athlete Jim Svenoy to the 1994 NCAA Championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Clark began his coaching career at the University of Arkansas as a volunteer assistant coach, being promoted to an assistant coach in 1991. While Clark was an assistant, the Razorbacks won three consecutive Triple Crowns in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track during the 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 school years. As recruiting coordinator, Clark helped assemble one of the most dominant programs in the history of NCAA Track & Field and Cross Country.
A 1981 graduate of Central Missouri State University, Clark was an NCAA qualifier in cross country and qualified for the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials, running 2:17.40. He was the top Masters runner in Oklahoma from 1996-2000 posting times of 14:58/5K, 25:45/8K, and 31:41/10K.

Bill Clay -- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach, Blinn College Buccaneers

(as of football season 2011) Clay joined the Blinn College staff in 2011. He was at Samford from 2008-10.
Clay came to Samford with a tremendous amount of coaching experience. He spent the last two seasons (06-07) coaching safeties at Texas A&M. Prior to his time at Texas A&M, he spent the 2005 season coaching inside linebackers at Louisiana Tech.
Clay has served as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State (2001-04), UAB (1997-2000), UTEP (1996), Mississippi State (1991-95), Temple (1988), SMU (1981-86) and Southern Mississippi (1980-81).
Clay worked at Mississippi State as an assistant coach from 1989-90 prior to being named defensive coordinator in 1991. He was also an assistant coach at Southern Mississippi from 1976-79 before his promotion to defensive coordinator in 1980.
From 1973-74 Clay served as an assistant coach at South Carolina. He worked as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech in 1972 and Virginia from 1969-71.
Clay began his coaching career at Ganby High School in Norfolk, Va., from 1965-68.
Clay, a native of Marianna, Ark., is a 1963 graduate of the University of Arkansas. He was a two-year letterman for the Razorbacks.

Tom Cliff -- Head Women's Soccer Coach, Adams State College Grizzlies

(as of soccer season 2009) Tom Cliff is in his first year ('07) as head coach of the Adams State College women's soccer team.
Cliff, who had spent the past four seasons at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, is just the second head coach in the Grizzlies' relatively young soccer history that started in 2002.
In his four seasons at Northwestern, Cliff turned the Red Raider program around as they finished just two wins short of a berth in the NAIA National Tournament in 2006. Arriving after a 3-13 season in 2002, the Red Raiders went 5-12 in his first year (2003) and 8-10 in his second (2004) before setting a school record for wins (10) in 2005. They then matched that record by going 10-9-1 while advancing to the NAIA Region III semifinals.
His teams posted a combined 33-40-3 record during his tenure with the Red Raiders.
Known as a tremendous recruiter, Cliff also served as Northwestern's athletic recruiting director for all sports.
Prior to his arrival at Northwestern, Cliff was an assistant coach for the men's soccer team at Spring Arbor University of Spring Arbor, Mich. during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He also served as the head coach for both men's and women's soccer at Greenville High School in Greenville, Ill. posting a combined 56-16-6 record in three seasons (1999-2001) with the Comets. He had also served as an assistant men's coach at Greenville College for the 1996 and 1997 seasons and has recorded 171 wins with just 76 losses and 16 ties while coaching youth teams in Arkansas, Illinois and Michigan.
Cliff, the oldest of five siblings, attended both Greenville College, where he was a member of the Panthers' varsity team, and Spring Arbor where he earned his bachelor's degree in social studies in 2003. Cliff also attended the University of Arkansas, where he played club soccer in 1992 and 1993, before serving as the co-captain from 1993-95 for the Team Americana, a semi-professional team in northwest Arkansas.
Cliff holds a "C" license from the United States Soccer Federation is a grade 6 referee for the United States Referee Federation. He is also active in summer camps and directed the Red Raider Soccer Camp along with his brother, Dan, who served as his assistant coach at Northwestern.

Scott Conley -- Director of Football Operations / Recruiting Coordinator, University of North Texas Mean Green

(as of football season 2011) Scott Conley became the director of football operations at the University of North Texas in 2009, after five years (04-08) as the head coach at Texas A&M-Commerce.
Conley led Trinity Valley Community College to the 1997 NJCAA National Championship. He posted a 32-12 record with two conference championships in four seasons before becoming an assistant at the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 and 2001.
Conley is a 1970 graduate of Texas A&M-Commerce with a degree in business administration. He earned a master's in secondary and higher education from A&M-C in 1973.
Conley was the 1997 NJCAA National Coach of the Year and American Football Quarterly Junior College National Coach of the Year. He was also the 1999 NJCAA Regional Coach of the Year.
He directed the Cardinals to the 1997 and 1999 Red River Bowls.
Prior to becoming head coach at Trinity Valley, Conley was an assistant at Howard Payne from 1993 to 1995.
He was a member of the Arkansas staff from 1990 to 1992, helping the Razorbacks to the 1991 Independence Bowl.
Conley coached running backs and receivers at Rice in 1989, running backs at Tennessee in 1988 and linebackers at Kansas in 1987.
He was a linebackers coach at Texas from 1982 to 1986 and coached the Longhorns to the 1982 Sun Bowl, the 1984 Cotton Bowl, the 1984 Freedom Bowl and the 1985 Bluebonnet Bowl.
He was also the running backs coach at Texas A&M in 1980 and 1981, helping the Aggies to a berth in the 1981 Independence Bowl.
Before going into collegiate football, Conley was the offensive coordinator at Plano Senior High from 1977 to 1979 and was the linebackers coach there from 1974 to 1976. While at Plano, he helped the Wildcats to the 1977 State 5A Championship and to district titles in five of his six seasons.
He was an assistant at Mt. Vernon from 1972 to 1973 and at Whitewright in 1971.

Charlie Corbell -- Pitching Coach, New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA) -- Florida Marlins

(as of baseball season 2011) Charlie was named the pitching coach for the Florida Marlins' Pacific Coast League (AAA) team, the New Orleans Zephyrs prior to the 2011 season. He was the pitching coach for the Marlins' South Atlantic League (A-) team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, from January 14, 2009 through the 2010 season.. He was the pitching coach for the Marlins' short season class A Jamestown Jammers (New York-Penn League) from December 14, 2006 through the 2008 season. He spent the 2005-06 seasons with New Orleans in the Nationals organization after spending 2004 with the Edmonton Trappers (AAA). Charlie moved to the Potomac Nationals on January 11, 2006. Pitching coach for the class AA Harrisburg senators in 2003. Spent 2002 season as a pitching coach for the class A Vermont Expos. Charlie spent four seasons at the helm of Galveston College after seven years as an assistant coach. Coach Corbell was the 2000 Region XIV South Coach of the Year and Galveston won their 5th Conference Championship. Charlie arrived in Galveston during the summer of 1991 with Dick Smith to reinstate and develop a nationally recognized baseball program. He had two years of NCAA Division I experience at Lamar University as pitching coach where he completed his Master of Science degree in Kinesiology. He coached professionally during the summer of 1997 for the Kansas City Royals organization where he served as a minor league pitching instructor.
Charlie was a successful pitcher throughout his playing career. He was a starting pitcher for Baytown Sterling HS state finalist team in 1979. He was awarded all-conference and all-region honors while pitching for Leroy Dreyer at Blinn College and was an All-Southwest Conference Pitcher for Norm DeBriyn at the University of Arkansas. Charlie was drafted and signed into professional baseball by the San Francisco Giants and played seven years as a professional, the last two years in the Pacific Coast League (AAA). He was on the New York Mets major league roster during spring training 1987 and participated as an invited player for 4 different major league spring trainings but never reached the major leagues. Charlie played two years of winter league baseball in Puerto Rico for the San Juan Metros.

Ron Cottrell -- Associate Athletic Director / Head Men's Basketball Coach, Houston Baptist Huskies

(as of school year 2011-12) After a three-year assistant coaching stint at Arkansas, Cottrell was hired by HBU President E.D. Hodo and then athletic director John Alexander. Cottrell's coaching philosophy includes a pressure defense and up-tempo offense. His teams are known for scoring a lot of points as evidenced by winning the NAIA National Scoring Title two of the last four years. He builds his program on Christian principles and promotes a family atmosphere among his players. He has coached an All-America each of the past seven seasons and is most proud of a 94% graduation rate. 
A native of Arkansas, Cottrell graduated from Houston's Westbury High School. He then attended the University of Arkansas where he was a volunteer coach for Richardson while attaining a degree in industrial engineering. Also, he served as sports director for Fayetteville, Arkansas ABC affiliate KTVP-TV. 
Cottrell then spent a year as an assistant coach for Rick McCormick at North Dakota State College of Science before returning to Arkansas and rejoining Richardson's staff as an assistant coach. During his years as an assistant at Arkansas, the Razorbacks won two Southwest Conference Championships and went to the NCAA Tournament three times, posting a record of 88-36.  His years at Arkansas culminated in the Hogs appearance at the 1990 NCAA Final Four.

Kevin Coyle -- Defensive Coordinator, Miami Dolphins

(as of football season 2012) Kevin Coyle was named defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins on January 27, 2012. Coyle joined the Cincinnatir Bengals in 2001, after four seasons at Fresno State.
The 2001 season marked Coyle's 25th year in coaching. In his 10 seasons prior to joining the Bengals, he was defensive coordinator and secondary coach at three Division I college programs - Syracuse, Maryland and Fresno State.
At Maryland (1994-96), Coyle oversaw a dramatic improvement in the Terrapins' defense, steadily guiding a program that ranked last nationally the year prior to his arrival to a final total defense ranking of No. 29 in 1996.
At Syracuse (1991-93), Coyle's defense led the nation in interceptions (24) in 1992 and set a school record for fewest rushing yards allowed (1007) in an 11-game season.
Coyle has worked under Bengals defensive coordinator Mark Duffner in three of his previous coaching assignments - at the University of Cincinnati (1978-79), at Holy Cross (1986-90) and at Maryland (1994-96).
PLAYING AND COACHING HISTORY - 1974-77: Played DB at University of Massachusetts. 1978-79: Graduate assistant, University of Cincinnati. 1980: Coaching assistant, Arkansas. 1981: Defensive coordinator, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. 1982-85: Assistant coach, Holy Cross. 1986-90: Defensive coordinator, Holy Cross. 1991-93: Defensive coordinator, Syracuse. 1994-96: Defensive coordinator, Maryland. 1997-2000: Defensive coordinator, Fresno State. 2001: Assistant coach, Bengals.

Donnie Craine -- Head (Men & Women) Diving Coach, Florida Gators

(as of school year 2009-10) Donnie Craine has spent 22 of the last 29 years as Florida's diving coach. Craine served as head coach of the U.S. Diving Team at the 22nd Annual Dive Canada in the summer of 1995. He also coached at the 1993 World University Games and the 1991 Pan American Games. At the 1991 Pan Ams, Craine helped 1989 NCAA women's one-meter champion, Alison Maisch, win two silver medals.
Craine, now in his second stint with the Gators, first served under former UF head coach Randy Reese from 1976-81. He returned to Florida in 1989 to revive an ailing Florida diving program.
In 1985 at Arkansas, Craine was named the NCAA Diving Coach of the Year. While at Louisiana State (1987-89), he was named SEC Women's Diving Coach of the Year in 1987, 1988 and 1989, as well as the 1988 SEC Men's Diving Coach of the Year.
As a competitor under coaching legend Dick Kimball, Craine earned third place finishes on both the one and three meter boards in the 1975 and 1976 NCAA Championships while at Michigan. He was also a 13-time finalist at the U.S. Nationals.
Craine was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. degree in physical education in 1976.

Justin Crouse -- Coordinator of Recruiting Development, Ole Miss Rebels

(as of football season 2011) Justin Crouse joined the Memphis Tiger support staff in September 2007 and served as the director of player personnel. He moved to Ole Miss in 2011.
In his position, he is responsible for the day-to-day on-campus recruiting efforts, and is the team's pro liaison. In addition, he assists with football administrative duties.
Crouse joined the Tiger staff after serving one season as the assistant director of football relations at the University of Miami. In that capacity, he assisted with on-campus recruiting visits and was the liaison between the team and NFL scouts. Just prior to his stint at Miami, Crouse was an area scout and personal assistant from 2004-06 with the New England Patriots.
A native of Murray, Ky., Crouse also has held positions on the college level at Arkansas and Murray State. He began his coaching career at MSU where he worked from 1994-97 as the tight ends/receivers coach. He joined the Razorbacks' staff in 1998 as the assistant recruiting coordinator and also filled in as the running backs coach from January-May, 2000. He later was named the assistant to head coach Houston Nutt and served in that role for four years.
Crouse earned his bachelor's degree in 1995 in marketing from Murray State, where he was a two-year letterman at wide receiver.

Jack Crowe -- Head Coach, Jacksonville State Gamecocks

(as of football season 2011) Jack Crowe, who has over 35 years of coaching experience, was hired as the 11th head football coach at Jacksonville State on Nov. 22, 1999. A native of Birmingham, Crowe has coached at some of the top programs in the country. During his career, he has worked at Auburn, Baylor, Arkansas, Clemson and Wyoming on the Division I level and also has college coaching stints at North Alabama and Livingston (now West Alabama). Crowe was named the head coach at Arkansas in January of 1990 after serving three years as offensive coordinator. He coached the Razorbacks to the 1991 Independence Bowl as head coach and to the 1989 Citrus Bowl, the Southwestern Conference Championship and the 1990 Cotton Bowl as an assistant, posting a 19-14 record.  He was offensive coordinator at Baylor from 1993 to 1995 and the Bears were the 1995 conference champions.

See the U of A Coaching Records

Gunther Cunningham -- Defensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions

(as of football season 2011) Gunther Cunningham was named the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in January 2009. He had returned to Kansas City as the club's defensive coordinator in 2004 before moving on after the 2008 season. Cunningham served as KC's head coach from '99-00 after enjoying a record-setting four-year stint as the Chiefs defensive coordinator from '95-98.
Cunningham, who owns 27 seasons of previous NFL coaching experience, spent three seasons ('01-03) as assistant head coach/linebackers coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Cunningham joined the Chiefs after spending four seasons ('91-94) with the Raiders. He served as that club's defensive coordinator in '92 and '93 in addition to tutoring the club's defensive line ('94), as well as coaching the Raiders linebackers ('91). Prior to that, he spent six seasons as a mentor for the San Diego Chargers defensive line ('85-90).
He began his NFL career coaching the defensive line for the Baltimore Colts in '82, staying in that capacity through the Colts '84 season in Indianapolis. He originally entered the pro ranks coaching defensive line and linebackers for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger Cats in '81.
He was the Arkansas defensive line coach in 1972.

Chris Curry -- Head Baseball Coach, Meridian Community College

(as of baseball season 2012) Chris Curry was named the head baseball coach at Meridian Community College in July 2010. Curry, a native of Conway, Ark., spent two years ('09-'10) as the volunteer assistant coach at Arkansas after one year ('08) as an assistant coach at Arkansas Tech University. He joined the staff at Tech after an eight-year professional playing career as a catcher. Prior to playing professional baseball, Curry spent two seasons playing at Meridian [MS] Community College and one season at Mississippi State. In 1999, Curry was a ninth-round pick in the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. He spent four seasons in the Cubs organization making it as high as Triple-A Iowa in 2002. After being released by Chicago, Curry signed a free agency deal with the San Francisco Giants organization, where he played for three years, reaching as high as the Double-A level. Curry also spent one season (2006) with the Gary [IN] Steelheads of the Independent Northern League, where he was selected to the league's All-Star Game.

Glynn Cyprien -- Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, University of Memphis Tigers

(as of basketball season 2010-11) Glynn Cyprien was named an assistant coach at the University of Memphis in 2009.
Cyprien has coached in the collegiate ranks since the 1987-88 season with his most recent stop being the last two seasons at Kentucky. In his two years on the Wildcat staff, Kentucky had a combined 40-27 record and made consecutive postseason tournaments. The Wildcats played in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and 2009 NIT.
Prior to his one year at Arkansas in 2006-07, Cyprien served as the associate head coach at New Mexico State in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns. In his two seasons in Las Cruces, he helped the Aggies improve from 6-24 in 2004-05 to 16-14 in 2005-06, the second-best turnaround in the country that year.
Before his stint at New Mexico State, Cyprien served as an assistant for Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State for four years (2000-04). The Cowboys had a combined record of 97-32 and made four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Oklahoma State's most-successful squad during Cyprien's time in Stillwater came in 2003-04 when the Cowboys went 31-4, swept the Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. En route to that 2004 Final Four appearance, Oklahoma State defeated Memphis 70-53 in the second round.
Cyprien also served on staffs at UNLV (1995-2000), Western Kentucky (1994-95), Jacksonville (1991-94), Lamar (1990-91) and Texas-San Antonio (1987-90).

Page last updated: 1/30/12