Steve Walters -- Wide Receivers Coach, Jacksonville Jaguars

(as of football season 2006) Defensive back - Arkansas 1967-1970.
College coach: Tampa 1973, Northeastern Louisiana 1974-75, Morehead State 1976, Tulsa 1977-78, Memphis State 1979, Southern Methodist 1980-81, Alabama 1985.
Pro coach: New England Patriots 1982-84, 1997-98, New Orleans 1986-1996, Tennessee 1999-2004, Jacksonville Jaguars 2005-06.

Kyle Washburn -- Assistant Baseball Coach, Odessa College Wranglers

(as of baseball season 2005) Kyle enters his first year ('05) as Assistant Coach of the Wrangler baseball team after one year as an assistant coach at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, KS. Kyle was the head coach of the Red Deer General's summer collegiate team in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada in the summer of 2004 where his team was second in the league before he left early to come to Odessa College. While coaching at Hutchinson, Coach Washburn was in charge of coaching the catchers and the off-season and in-season strength and conditioning programs for the baseball team. At Odessa, Kyle will be in charge of much of the same, but will also be the team's hitting instructor.
Before getting started as a baseball coach, Kyle attended school at Westark College in Fort Smith, AR where he played third base for his two years on the team. While at Westark, Kyle received his Associates Degree in general education. After his two years at Westark, Coach Washburn moved on to the University of Arkansas where he played third base as a junior and hit .348. As a senior, Kyle began the year as a catcher before breaking his neck two weeks into the season which restricted him to being a designated hitter and third baseman. Kyle received his degree from the University of Arkansas in Marketing Management.

Kelley Waters -- Director of Basketball Operations (Ladyback basketball)

(as of basketball season 2006-07) Heading into her fourth season (04-05) with the Lady Razor-backs as the director of basketball operations, Kelley Waters coordinates office activities for the Lady'Back basketball staff, handles team travel and manages the team's new digital video editing system. Balancing responsibilities for the coaching staff as well as serving as the coordinator for the Lady Razorback summer basketball camps requires special talents.
Waters proved valuable during the transition time last year as Gardner came on board, particularly with summer camp. Taking over travel, handling equipment and the video system sound like small items, but the impact to the coaching staff is felt both on the court and on the recruiting trail.
The former communications coordinator for the Northern Texas PGA, Waters spent two years working on the business end of professional sports prior to returning to the college game at Arkansas. Waters was an intern in the communications branch of the LPGA, assisting the broadcast services division, prior to joining the Northern Texas PGA. As the communications coordinator for the NTPGA, she was the assistant editor of Texas Golf Quarterly, a contributor to PGA Magazine and worked with NTPGA Junior Golf Foundation.
As graduate assistant coach with Hardin-Simmons University, she helped the Cowgirls reach the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 in 1999 and a pair of American Southwest Conference championships in 1998 and 1999. While at Hardin-Simmons, Waters earned her master's degree in recreation and sports management.

Charlie Weatherbie -- Head Football Coach, University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhwaks

(as of football season 2009) Charlie Weatherbie took the helm of the Louisiana-Monroe football program in 2003.
Weatherbie, who took over the program a little less than three months before kicking off the 2003 season, was introduced as ULM's 13th head coach on May 7, 2003. In his first season at the helm, the Indians/Warhawks lost seven games by seven points or less and highlighted with a win over instate rival Louisiana-Lafayette.
Weatherbie has twice proven that he can take over sub .500 football programs and instantly transform them into winners. At Utah State, he inherited a program that had not had a winning season in 12 years and took the Aggies to their first Big West Conference championship in 15 years, their first bowl game in 32 years and their first bowl victory ever, beating Ball State 42-33 in the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl. He was 13-10 in his first two seasons (1992-93) at the Logan, Utah, campus, leaving after the third season to take the same position at the Naval Academy. The Aggies' 1993 win over Brigham Young still stands as Utah State's only win in the last 18 meetings with their instate rivals.
At Navy, Weatherbie had similar success. He took the Midshipmen, who had suffered through 12 consecutive losing seasons prior to his arrival, to a 9-3 record and the championship of the 1996 Aloha Bowl in his second season. The nine wins were the most by a Navy team in 18 years and no Navy team had won more games since 1905. He also became just the third coach in school history to win a bowl game.
In 1997, Weatherbie led Navy to a 7-4 mark, the first time since the 1981-82 seasons that the Midshippmen had compiled back-to-back winning seasons. The 16 wins over two years tied for the third most in school history. He was named EACA Coach of the Year and was the head defensive coach at the Kelly Tire Blue/Gray Classic.
Weatherbie's first team in Annapolis, Md., went 5-6 in 1995, after Navy had won just nine games the previous four seasons combined.
He entered the coach ranks in 1977, coaching as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State.
Following his stint at OSU, Weatherbie was hired as an assistant coach at Wyoming, where he spent 1981-1983.
He left Wyoming after 1983 to be an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy. During Weatherbie's six seasons, Air Force was an overall 48-25-1 and participated in four bowl games.
Arkansas would be the next stop on Weatherbie's list. He stayed two seasons on the Razorback staff (1990 and 1991) before being named the head coach of Utah State in 1992.

Luke Weatherford -- Assistant Baseball Coach, Southeastern Louisiana University Lions

(as of baseball season 2008) Luke Weatherford was named an assistant baseball coach at Southeastern Louisiana University on July 10, 2007.
A former Southeastern assistant and collegiate player at Arkansas, Weatherford returns to Hammond after a two-year stint on Rick Jones' staff at Tulane. Weatherford will primarily work with the Lion hitters and infielders.
While with the Green Wave, Weatherford was responsible for the outfielders, assisted with the hitters and coached first base.
Prior to joining the Green Wave staff, Weatherford was an assistant under former Lion coach Dan Canevari for the 2005 season, working with the infielders, hitters and base runners. During that year, the Lions advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time since 1999.
Weatherford, a Fort Smith, Ark. native, began his coaching career at his junior college alma mater - Arkansas-Fort Smith (formerly Westark College) - where he spent two seasons. During his playing career, he was an All-Region selection as a sophomore and was the Wayne Layman Leadership Award winner before signing with Arkansas.
During his two seasons with the Razorbacks, Weatherford was a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and earned the team's Lon Farrell Academic Award both years. In his senior season, Arkansas advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. Weatherford earned his bachelor's degree in education in May 2003.

Jerry Welch -- Football

Lettered in football at Arkansas in 1962, '63, & '64.
Spent some time as head coach at Chadron [Neb.] College.
Jerry Welch, took over the Little Rock Central High School Tigers for the 1970 season. A 1-8-1 record in 1970 was the worst football season since the school opened in 1894. In 1971, Coach Welch and the Tigers were 5-6-0.
Coach Welch left Central after the 1971 season to work on his doctorate at Northwest Louisiana State.

David Welsh -- Assistant Cross Country / Track & Field Coach, Boise State University Broncos

(as of track & field season 2006-07) Welsh, a six-time NCAA Division I All-American, is the newest member (2003) of the Bronco track and field program and will serve as an assistant coach in charge of the distance runners and cross country.
Welsh joined Bronco head track and field coach Mike Maynard's coaching staff following two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso. During his two seasons at UTEP, Welsh coached two NCAA All-American, 10 NCAA national qualifiers, 15 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) champions and 23 All-WAC selections.
Welsh has also coached at the prep level leading Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway Beach, Oregon for four years and the boy's state cross country champions in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
 A six-time NCAA All-American at the University of Arkansas, Welsh's top finish at nationals came in 1993 when he finished runner-up in the 5,000-meter run at the 1993 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He was a 10-time NCAA national qualifier while competing at Arkansas including twice in cross country. He finished 16th at the 1990 cross country national championships, and fifth in 1991. Along with his runner-up finish in the 5,000-meter run in 1993, Welsh also placed third in the 10,000-meter run in 1992, sixth at 10,000-meters in 1993 and third at the 1994 indoor championships in the 5,000-meter run.
 Welsh was a member of 10 NCAA National Championship teams at Arkansas, including the 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-49 Razorback squads which performed the trifecta (winning the cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships).
Welsh has also competed at the international level. In 1993 he ran in the 10,000-meter run at the World University games, and in 1997 on a USA Track and Field team in Chiba, Japan.
Following his collegiate running career at Arkansas, Welsh earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology and Political Science from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon in 2001.

Dixie White -- Football

Played at Texas Tech from 1937-39 and was elected to the Texas Tech University Athletic Hall of Honor in 1983.
Head coach at Midwestern State University in 1951-52 (11-9-1). Assistant coach at Arkansas from 1955-61.

Steed White -- Football

Steed White lettered in football at Arkansas in 1946 and 47. He played at Arkansas Tech prior to moving to Arkansas.
Upon graduating from the University of Arkansas, Steed coached high school football for the next 10 years.
He was Wilson Matthew's lone assistant at Little Rock Central until the fall of 1954 when he was hired at Fort Smith High to revitalize their program. At Central the Tigers were perennial State Champs and were nationally ranked.
In 1957 Coach John Barnhill hired Steed to come to the University of Arkansas to coach offensive line. Over the 11 years Steed was on the staff, the hogs played in 3 Cotton Bowls, the Dixie Bowl, the Gator Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. This included the National Championship Team of 1964.
He finished his career at the University as the Recruiting Coordinator. He was well known all over the state and the southwest as a close ally to the high school coaches, never forgetting his roots as a high school player and coach. White retired in 1968.
Steed was inducted into the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor in 2008.

Doug Williamson -- Track

Doug competed in track and field at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and was selected to the All-Big Ten Conference team after scoring several times at the Big Ten Championships.
Prior to his collegiate coaching jobs, Williamson established himself in the coaching ranks at the high school level in Illinois. From 1976 to 1980, he coached girls and boys track programs at Naperville High School in Naperville, Ill.
Before his time at Naperville, Williamson was the head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Lockport Central High School in Lockport, Ill., from 1971 to 1976.
He was at Arkansas two different times. The first time was 1980. He returned to Arkansas as the sprints and hurdles coach around 2000. After about 10 years as a coach at the junior high and high school levels, Williamson saw coming to the Razorbacks the first time as an opportunity that he could not pass up.
In 1985, with the experience he gained as an assistant for the Hogs, Williamson took over as the head coach at the University of Virginia for both the men's and women's programs. In only one year at the school, Williamson led the Cavalier women to both the Atlantic Coast Conference indoor and outdoor titles. His efforts that year earned him ACC-Coach-of-the-Year honors.
After a short time in Virginia, Williamson entered the Southeastern Conference in 1986 as the head men's and women's coach at the University of Alabama and faced the daunting task of recruiting and competing against McDonnell's Razorbacks.
In his 10 years with the Crimson Tide, Williamson led them to four SEC Championships in the conference that has now developed into the nation's elite.
In 1997, Williamson left Alabama and collegiate track to seek out different endeavors.
Taught physical education and coached cross country and track at Vernon Hills High School in Illinois from 2003-05.

John Williamson -- Director of Athletics, Southwestern Assemblies of God University

(as of 2004-05 school year) A former linebacker, John lettered for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 1989. He had a 10-year stint with Chi Alpha Athlete Outreach Ministries at Arizona State University (ASU) and most recently at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

Richard Williamson -- Wide Receivers Coach, Carolina Panthers

*Retired after the '09 season

(as of football season 2009) On the Panthers coaching staff since 1995, Richard Williamson has held numerous positions. For nearly two seasons, he was the Panthers offensive coordinator, but this year, he returns "home" as wide receivers coach, where he is regarded among the League's elite after repeatedly drawing the best from his players.
In 1999, the Panthers produced two 1,000-yard receivers as Patrick Jeffers joined Muhsin Muhammad among the League leaders and tied a team record with 12 touchdown catches.
They are just the latest successes on Richard's resume. In 1995, Mark Carrier's 1,002 receiving yards established an expansion record while Green's 882 yards set a personal career high. In 1998, Raghib Ismail posted career bests with 69 receptions and 1,024 yards. Before that, Richard oversaw the development of Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott at Cincinnati. With Kansas City, Richard coached Stephon Paige when he set an NFL single-game record with 305 receiving yards. At Tampa Bay, two of his players, Bruce Hill in 1988 and Carrier in 1989, were named the Buccaneers most valuable player.
As a member of the Panthers staff, Richard has worked in a number of capacities. He was wide receivers coach until 2000, when he stepped in as offensive coordinator five games into the season. The following year, he served as offensive coordinator as well as assistant head coach.
Richard joined the Panthers in 1995 from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was receivers coach from 1992-1994. Previously, he coached five years at Tampa Bay, serving as receivers coach for four seasons before being elevated to head coach for the last three games of 1990 and the entire 1991 campaign. He entered the NFL in 1983 as a coach with Kansas City.
As a college coach, Richard was head coach at Memphis State from 1975-80, where he was twice named Southern Independent Conference Coach of the Year. Before his post with the Tigers, he served as an assistant at Arkansas and spent seven years as an assistant to Paul 'Bear' Bryant at Alabama.
Richard played wide receiver for Bryant's Crimson Tide in 1961 and 1962 prior to joining Alabama's coaching staff. A native of Fort Deposit, AL, Richard was born April 13, 1941.
Receiver Alabama 1961-62. College coach: Alabama 1963-67, 1970-71, Arkansas 1968-69, 1972-74, Memphis State 1975-80 (head coach). Pro coach: Kansas City Chiefs 1983-86, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1987-91 (interim head coach final three games of 1990, head coach 1991), Cincinnati Bengals 1992-94, joined Panthers in 1995.

Wendi Willits -- Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, State University of West Georgia Wolves

(as of basketball season 2005-06) Willits' credentials as a player are more than impressive, both on and beyond the collegiate level. She was a four-year letter winner and three-year starter for the University of Arkansas. As a freshman, she helped the Lady Razorbacks to the school's only trip to the NCAA Final Four.
Also, Willits played one season professionally, helping the Los Angeles Sparks to the 2001 WNBA Championship. Willits' collegiate career is well documented in the Arkansas records book. Three times she led the Lady Razorbacks in scoring. She holds school records for most three-point shots made and attempted for a career, season, and game. The latter came when Willits made nine from beyond the arc in a 1999 game vs. Georgia.
Willits also holds Arkansas school records for most consecutive three-point shots made (12), and for consecutive made free throws (25). The ability of Willits to hit from long-range led to two special honors. In 1999 she was chosen by the Basketball Hall of Fame as its Ed Steitz Award winner. Named for the man who brought the three-point shot rule change to the game, the Steitz is given to the nation's top three-point shooter. Also, following her senior year in 2001, she was a contestant in the ESPN Three-Point Shootout at the NCAA Men's Final Four.
A two-time All-SEC selection at guard, Willits also earned honors for her work in the classroom. The Kinesiology major earned a berth on the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll during each of her four seasons at Arkansas.

Alex Wood -- Receivers Coach, University of Arkansas

(as of football season 2007) Wood has more than 26 years of coaching experience in the college and National Football League ranks including four years as the head coach of James Madison University. He was let go by Arkansas after the 2007 season.
A former running back and special teams player at the University of Iowa (1975-77), Wood graduated from Iowa in 1979 with a degree in secondary education and social studies. He also began his coaching career as a student assistant at his alma mater in 1978.
His first full-time coaching position came at Kent State University where he served as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach from 1979-80. The following two seasons (1981-82), Wood was the defensive back coach at Southern Illinois University. From 1982-85, Wood coached defensive backs and was the defensive coordinator at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.
Wood spent two seasons (1985-86) tutoring wide receivers and tight ends at the University of Wyoming. He then served two years as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington State University.
From 1989-93, Wood was part of one of the most successful college football programs in the nation. He served as the running backs coach under Dennis Erickson for the Miami Hurricanes. During Wood's tenure, the Hurricanes won two national championships (1989 and 1991) including a perfect 12-0 season in 1991. Miami played in four New Year's Day bowl games in that span. Wood was hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wake Forest in 1993. He coached for two seasons in Winston-Salem, N.C. before landing his first head coaching opportunity.
In 1995, Wood was named as the head football coach at James Madison University, where he would serve for four years.
Wood moved into the pro ranks in 1999 when he was hired by Dennis Green as the quarterbacks' coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He spent four seasons with the Vikings' organization.
Wood was named wide receivers coach by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.
In 2004, Wood rejoined Green on the staff of the Arizona Cardinals. Wood served one season as the offensive coordinator for the Cardinals overseeing the offensive staff and handling play-calling responsibilities.

Mike Woodford -- Special Teams Coordinator, University of Illinois Fighting Illini

(as of football season 2009) Mike joined Illinois on July 27, 2007. Previously he had joined the Florida Gators for two years after the 2001-02 football season. He had been with the New Orleans Saints staff in 2001 as a defensive assistant/quality control coach -- his first job in the NFL coaching ranks. Woodford spent two seasons (1999-2000) as secondary coach at Middle Tennessee.
Prior to his stint with the Blue Raiders, Woodford served an assistant at Walsh (Ohio) University for five years (1994-98), serving as the Cavaliers defensive coordinator during his final four seasons. From 1986-91 he was secondary coach at the University of Akron and in 1985 he was the backfield coach at Middle Tennessee as the Blue Raiders went 11-0 in the regular season and earned a #1 ranking. Woodford served as Secondary coach at Rhodes (Tenn.) College in the 1984 after graduate assistant positions at Kansas (spring 1984), Arkansas (1983) and his alma mater, Arizona (1982).
A native of Niles, Ohio, Woodford was a standout safety at the University of Arizona. He was a four-year player for the Wildcats from 1978-81, working his from walk-on to starter over the course of his collegiate career.

Bill Woodley -- Head Men's Golf Coach, Texas State University Bobcats

(as of golf season 2006-07) Bill Woodley enters his fifth season at the helm of the Texas State men's golf program.
Woodley came back to then Southwest Texas in 2002 after coaching stops at Arkansas and TCU. It is certainly a case of coming full-circle as the man he replaced, Jim Bob Jackson, played for Woodley in his first go around with the Bobcats and helped him win a conference championship.
Woodley spent 15 years as head coach at Arkansas. In his tenure, he recorded two conference championships, the Southwest Conference in 1988 and the Southeastern Conference in 1995, and nine top-ten finishes in the NCAA tournament.
Before joining the Razorbacks, Woodley spent two seasons as the head coach at TCU. In his short stint with the Horned Frogs, Woodley won a SWC championship and was the conference coach of the year both seasons.
He began his coaching career at Southwest Texas, now Texas State, in 1980 as the head coach of the Bobcats. In four years at then Southwest Texas, he recorded a NCAA Division II National Championship, three conference championships and one second place conference finish.
Before coaching, Woodley attended Texas State and was a standout player for the Bobcats. He was a four-year letter winner from 1975-78, an all-conference selection and runner-up in the Lone Star Conference Tournament in 1977.
Woodley never played professionally, but he has enjoyed considerable success at the amateur level. He qualified in the 1976 U.S. Open but did not participate in competition. He also recorded the lowest amateur score at the Texas Open and has won more than 100 tournament titles.
Woodley, a native of Tulsa, OK, graduated from Hale High School in 1968. He was an instructor at Barksdale Air Force Base before earning his bachelor's degree from Texas State in 1978 and his master's in 1980.

Bowden Wyatt -- Football

Bowden Wyatt played end for the Vols from 1936-38 and was an All-American in '38. He coached at Mississippi State before he took over the reins for the Wyoming Cowboys in 1947. At Wyoming, Wyatt began operating a football program which hadn't had a winning coach since William McMurray left in 1906. They had recorded a losing record in 16 of the previous 18 seasons.
The team went 9-1 in 1949 (including the 103-0 humiliation of Northern Colorado).
He strung together the school's first undefeated season in 1950 and went to their first bowl game ever at the Gator Bowl against Washington & Lee. He left for Arkansas after the 1952 season.
Following a two-year stint as coach at Arkansas (53-54), he got the job he had always wanted, the chance to follow in his mentor's footsteps as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Wyatt won national coach of the year honors for putting together an undefeated regular season and winning the SEC championship in 1956, with only one game (a 6-0 win at then-No. 2 Georgia Tech) decided by single digits. Under Wyatt, the Vols were 49-29-4 from 1955-1982. He was elected to the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame in 1972, the University of Wyoming Hall of Fame in 1994 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972 (player) and 1997 (coach). He was 31st on SI's 50 Greatest Tennessee Sports Figures in 1999.
Passed away on January 21, 1969.

Page last updated: 2/16/11