Sparks Named to NAIA Hall of Fame
Sept. 24, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Carson-Newman Head Coach Ken Sparks is a part of the 2008-`09 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame Class. He will be inducted at the American Football Coaches' Association Convention in January.
Sparks, who has been head coach at C-N since 1980, and the Carson-Newman Eagles' run of success began in 1982, when he guided Carson-Newman to a 10-2 record and an NAIA playoff berth during his third season as head football coach. Despite the Eagles loss in the first round that year, the Carson-Newman football program would never be the same.
In 1983, Sparks led Carson-Newman to its second straight South Atlantic Conference title and back to the playoffs. The Eagles upset Mesa State College (Colo.) in the NAIA Championship Bowl, 36-28, to capture the first national championship football title in school history.
The Eagles first title run might have been the most memorable, as C-N reached the postseason as the final invite in the 12-team tournament. C-N would win home games over Shepherd (42-21) and Saginaw Valley State (41-7), before pulling the upset at Mesa State that would forever put Carson-Newman football on the national map.
Carson-Newman would win four more NAIA national crowns, including a repeat in '84. The success didn't stop there, as the eagles played in the Championship Bowl from 1986-'89, winning in '86, '88, and `89.
In 13 NAIA seasons at Carson-Newman, Sparks won five national titles, played for six and reached the playoffs 10 times. He was named NAIA Football Coach of the Year in 1984.
He continues to be an active ambassador for college football, recently serving as president of the American Football Coaches Association (2007). Sparks has been honored by numerous organizations and Hall of Fames and is held in high esteem by his football colleagues.
Sparks is known throughout the community as a coach who cares more about his players making "winning" decisions in life and his impact on young players is unmatched.
Currently, the Eagles' Head Coach is fourth among active college coaches in all-time wins with 271 (271-64-2), behind such legends as Bobby Bowden (Florida State) and Joe Paterno (Penn State.
The rest of the 2008-'09 NAIA Hall of Fame Class includes: Mike Cleary (Meritorious Service), Patrick Clemens (Men's Soccer - Meritorious Service), Paul Swanson (Volleyball Coach), Fernanda Vivancos Nelson (Volleyball Player), Robert F. Shoup (Football Coach), Jerry Tolley (Football - Meritorious Service), Mike Lightfoot (Basketball Coach), Paul Bartlett (Wrestling - Meritorious Service), Ben Foster (Men's Golf Coach), Dave Bingham (Baseball Coach), Steve Ridder (Men's Basketball Coach), and Sam Riggleman (Men's Baseball Coach).
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.
