Jim Mackenzie -- Football

Was an assistant coach (defensive coordinator and defensive line coach) at Arkansas from 1958 through 1965.
Coached Oklahoma to a 6-4 record in 1966.

Johnny Majors -- Football

His days of football may not all have gone as he would have liked, but to former University of Tennessee head football coach Johnny Majors they will always be memorable.
Majors, who resides in Lynchburg, Tenn., got his gridiron career started in 1949 as a freshman on the Lynchburg High School football team, where he was the squad's tailback. That season, Lynchburg recorded just one win in 10 games. But it was a sweet victory for Majors, with his team beating his father Shirley's Huntland High School team, 19-13.
Majors graduated from high school in 1953 and enrolled at the University of Tennessee, where he became an All-American tailback under Coach Bowden Wyatt.
The Vols won the Southeastern Conference championship in 1956, with Majors earning the SEC's Most Valuable Player award. Majors also finished second in Heisman Trophy balloting behind Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung.
Majors also received All-SEC honors in 1955 and 1956.
Majors entered the coaching ranks in 1957 when he joined the University of Tennessee staff as a student assistant. Three years later, he became an assistant coach at Mississippi State University. In 1964, Majors joined coach Frank Broyles on the University of Arkansas coaching staff.
Majors got his first head coaching job in 1968 when he took over the Iowa State program. Majors led the Cyclones to two postseason bowls and was named the Big East Coach of the Year in 1971.
The legendary coach hit the proverbial college football jackpot in 1973 when he accepted the head coaching job at the University of Pittsburgh. After winning just one game the year previous to Majors' arrival, the Panthers finished 6-5-1. In 1974, they were 7-4 before finishing 8-4 in 1975.
Majors' 1976 team, which included Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, won the national championship.
Majors returned to the University of Tennessee as head football coach in 1977. He led the Volunteers to the Astro Bluebonnet Bowl against Purdue in 1978.
Majors was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
Despite a successful tenure as University of Tennessee head coach, Majors still has bitter feelings about how we was dismissed as head coach.
In 1991, Majors was sent to the hospital with four games remaining. Phillip Fulmer took over the team and Majors was dismissed from his coaching duties.
Majors returned to Pitt in 1993 and retired after the 1996 season.  He finished with a record of 185-137-10 in 29 seasons of coaching.

Oscar Malone -- Head Coach, Arkansas Rhinos (North American Football League)

(as of football season 2008) Lettered at Arkansas in 1992, '93, '94, & '96. Former Arkansas Rhinos player. Led the Rhinos to a 5-6 record in 2004, his first year as head coach, and a 13-1 record in 2005.

Jo Beth Mathis -- Assistant Volleyball Coach, Arkansas State Indians

*Resigned on January 15, 2008

(as of volleyball season 2007) Jo Beth Mathis, one of the most decorated players in Arkansas State volleyball history and an inductee in the ASU Athletics Hall of Honor, is rejoining the Lady Indian program for her second stint as an assistant coach, the school announced on March 27, 2002.
Mathis, who was a three-year letterwinner at ASU from 1990-92 and led ASU to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1992, helped the Lady Indians to consecutive NCAA appearances in 1994 and 1995 as an assistant coach for former coach Jeff Hulsmeyer.
Mathis, who transferred to ASU after one season at Rice University, was a three-time all-conference and all-conference tournament selection. She was also the 1992 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Sun Belt Tournament Most Valuable Player. Mathis was a second-team All-South Region selection as well as the 1992 Sun Belt Conference Medallion winner and the winner of ASU's Terry Gwin Award, given to the most outstanding male and female athletes at Arkansas State.
After a two-year stint at ASU as an assistant, Mathis served as an administrative assistant coach for the University of Arkansas volleyball program for former Lady Indian coach Chris Poole. In 1996, she took the head coaching position at Lyon College in Batesville, where she also served as Senior Women's Administrator for the athletic department. She has been a seventh-grade basketball and eighth-grade volleyball coach for the Clear Creek Independent School District in League City, Texas, as well as head coach of the Club WAVE 18-and-under Junior Olympic Volleyball Team for the past three years.
An inductee in Arkansas State's Athletic Hall of Honor in 2000, Mathis said the lure of coaching college athletes and the opportunity to return to her hometown were too much to pass up.

Wilson Matthews -- Football / Athletic Director

A member of the UA athletic department starting in 1958, Matthews was instrumental in the growth of UA athletic programs as a coach, an administrator and a goodwill ambassador for the Razorbacks. Matthews took on administrative duties in 1973 after a successful football coaching career.
He served as an assistant and then associate athletic director until 1992 when he assumed the title of associate athletic director emeritus. Matthews assisted Broyles with departmental administration for more than four decades including working with the academic athletic scholarship program and Razorback Clubs all over the state. His plan of ticket prioritizing was responsible for the athletic department's financial independence and has become a cornerstone for success in all Razorback sports. His outstanding accomplishments didn't go unnoticed. He was enshrined in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Razorback Hall of Honor, the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction and the Arkansas High School Coaches Hall of Fame. The 3,800-square foot Wilson Matthews "A" Club, located on the east side of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, was named in his honor. Matthews was also recognized as one of the "difference makers" in Razorback athletics. A monument in his honor was established in the Razorback Honors Plaza in front of the Broyles Center. He received perhaps his greatest national honor when he was named a Distinguished American by the Arkansas Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. Matthews joined the Razorbacks in January 1958 after building an incredible record at Little Rock Central High School. He coached the defensive ends and linebackers at Arkansas before taking administrative duties in 1969. He continued to coach the freshmen until being named assistant athletic director in 1973. As a varsity coach, Matthews coached two All-Americans and eight All-Southwest Conference players. During his tenure the Hogs appeared in eight bowl games.
He had possibly one of the finest success stories in all of Arkansas prep history. At Little Rock Central, his teams won 10 state championships in 11 years and posted a remarkable record of 111-14-3, losing only three games to in-state teams. Rogers (Ark.) High School was where Matthews began his coaching career in 1944. He led his squad to a 7-3 finish before moving to Central as an assistant. His first Tiger teams went 12-0-1 in 1947 and 9-1-1 in 1948. His next two teams finished 10-1 and 10-2. In 1951, his team was 9-3 but a one-point loss to North Little Rock that season was the last defeat a Matthews-coached Central team had against competition from Arkansas. The Tigers were undefeated in the state the next six years.Matthews led the Tigers to unbeaten seasons in 1956 and 1957, and left the school with a 33-game winning streak. His 1957 team was ranked No. 1 nationally. A native of Atkins, Ark., Matthews played football at Atkins High, Arkansas Tech, Arkansas and with the Monticello Marine-Navy team. He earned his bachelor's degree and his master's in education from Arkansas. Matthews also served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.

Hal McAfee -- Football

Hal lettered at linebacker for the Razorbacks from 1973-75 and was named Academic All-SWC in 1975. He won the Red Hickey Razorback Spirit Award in 1975 and was named the Defensive MVP of the 1976 Cotton Bowl. Hal would eventually be named to the Cotton Bowl Hall of Heroes for the 1970's and the Houston Chronicle All-Time Cotton Bowl team.
From 1979-81 Hal was a defensive graduate assistant at Arkansas. He would then head to the high school ranks, becoming the defensive coordinator at Marlin (TX) high school (1981-82). His next stop would be as defensive line graduate assistant at Henderson State University (1982-83). Hal's first head coaching position was at Camden Harmony Grove (1983-86) in Arkansas.
In 1986 Hal became the defensive coordinator at Tarleton State University in Texas. His two years as defensive coordinator saw TSU win two TIAA Championships and make it to the NAIA II National Quarterfinals in 1987.
Hal became the head coach at Tarleton State in the spring of 1988 and spent the next five years there. TSU won two TIAA Championships (1989 & 1990) and made it to the NAIA II National Quarterfinals twice (1989 & 1990) in those five years. The 1990 season was the first ever undefeated regular season in school history.
From 1996-98 Hal was the offensive coordinator at Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Hal passed away on November 22, 2008.

Charles McGibbony -- Basketball / Football

Charles "Dub" McGibbony passed away on March 24, 2008.
McGibbony, who served as the head coach of the Central Arkansas football program from 1945-46, was born on October 23, 1915 in Pine Bluff.
While attending UCA, he played on the Bears football team as the running back and quarterback from 1940-41.
In 1944, McGibbony played pro football for the New York Brooklyn Tigers for a year.
He graduated from UCA, then the Arkansas State Teachers College, in 1945. At that time, the ASTC football program was halted due to World War II. McGibbony did not serve in the war because of a perforated eardrum but he trained Naval Cadets at UCA and in Atlanta from 1943-44.
McGibbony did not have much success as the football coach for two years, giving the bears a 1-6 season in 1945 and a 2-6 season in 1946, but he did lay the foundation for the football program today at UCA.
McGibbony thrived as the Bears basketball coach at the same time he was the football coach.
McGibbony left his coaching career at UCA and went on to assistant coach at the University of Arkansas from 1947-1950 where he received his master's degree in 1949. After coaching at the University of Arkansas, he went on to coach high school football at Hot Springs High School and Fort Smith's Northside and Southside high schools until 1970.

Bill Michael -- Football

(as of football season 2001) A 36-year coaching veteran, Bill Michael enters his eighth season with the University of North Texas football program. After serving as the defensive coordinator in 1994, he was named assistant head coach prior to the 1995 season and briefly served as interim head coach in 1998. This fall Coach Michael enters his second season coaching the tight ends and offensive line.
The move was made because of Michael's expertise in option football and his ability to improve that part of UNT's offense. It's something he knows very well. Coach Michael served on the University of Oklahoma staff under Chuck Fairbanks and Barry Switzer when OU's wishbone offense was one of the dominate forces in college football. The move to the "Bone" was made in 1970 as Fairbanks and Michael utilized the talents of Greg Pruitt. During Michael's last three and a half seasons at OU with the wishbone, the Sooners posted a combined record of 43-6-1 and won a pair of Sugar Bowl Championships and posted an undefeated season (1973, 10-0-1).
Michael has participated in several bowl games, including the two Sugar Bowl wins as well as an Orange Bowl victory over Tennessee in 1967. He began his college coaching career in 1964 as the defensive coordinator at UTEP. In 1967, he moved to the University of Oklahoma and served as the offensive line coach until 1973. Michael coached six All-Americans and was a member of two Sugar Bowl championship teams during his stint with the Sooners. Michael served as head coach at UTEP from 1978-82. In 1983, he moved to South Carolina as the linebackers coach and after a two-year stint with the Gamecocks, Michael left to join the Texas staff as the linebackers coach (1986).
A 1959 graduate of Arkansas, he was a three-year varsity letterwinner (1956-58) and was captain of the 1958 team. The 1958 squad was the first coached by the legendary Frank Broyles. He was also teammates with former OU and Dallas Cowboys' head coach Barry Switzer.

David Mitchell -- Running Backs Coach, Purdue Boilermakers
 
(as of football season 2005) David Mitchell is in his third season ('05) as running backs coach. He was named to the position March 3, 2003. Mitchell came to the Boilermakers from Lincoln University of Missouri, an NCAA Division II school, where he served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator during the 2002 season. He was the Blue Tigers' running backs coach and strength coach in 2001.
Previously, Mitchell was offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at North Texas (2000), running backs coach at Missouri (1997-99), running backs coach at Arkansas (1994-96) and running backs coach at Syracuse (1991-93). He began his career at his alma mater, Arkansas State, working from 1974 to 1990 as a graduate assistant, junior varsity head coach, running backs coach and wide receivers coach. Mitchell played running back at Arkansas State and was a member of the Indians' 1970 NCAA College Division championship team. He led the Southland Conference in rushing as a senior with 968 yards and earned all-conference honors. Mitchell concluded his playing days as Arkansas State's fourth-leading all-time rusher with 1,427 yards on 247 carries (5.8 average) and nine touchdowns.
A native of North Little Rock, Ark., Mitchell (born Sept. 18, 1951) earned a B.S. degree in education, physical education in 1974 and an M.S. degree in education, physical education in 1975, both from Arkansas State. He and his wife, Darlister, have two children, Denise and David Jr.

Jack Mitchell -- Football

Mitchell played junior high and high school football at Arkansas City, Kansas, where he was an all-state quarterback. He then attended Texas University for part of his freshman year. He withdrew and went back to Arkansas City Junior College briefly before going into the armed forces during World War II. He then moved to the University of Oklahoma, where he returned seven punts for a touchdown from 1946-48.
After his graduation from Oklahoma, where he was an All-American quarterback, Mitchell went to Blackwell, Okla., High School for one year as head coach. The following year he was an assistant coach at Tulsa University and then the next two years (1951-52) he was an assistant coach at Texas Tech in Lubbock.
He was head coach at the University of Wichita (13-5-1) in 1953 and 1954 and led the Shockers to a Missouri Valley title the second season, after a rebuilding campaign. Then he went to Arkansas in 1955 as head coach. Arkansas was 17-12-1 under Mitchell from 1955-57. In 1957 he moved to the University of Kansas where he posted a 44-45-2 record between 1958 and 1966.
University of Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame ('06).

Verl Mitchell -- Offensive Line Coach, Arkansas Rhinos (North American Football League)

(as of football season 2004) Played offensive tackle at the U of A from 1991 until 1995.

Page last updated: 8/15/11