COACH WILSON ANOUNCES SEVEN ASSISTANT COACHES
Coach Richard Wilson announced seven assistant coaches for the Arkansas Baptist College football team at a Media Meet The Coaches Luncheon held July 12 in the Club Room at War Memorial Stadium.
The assistants are: Offense -- Joe Jefferson (coordinator), Isaac Davis and Reggie Swinton; Defense -- Ananias Johnson (coordinator), Keith Hamaker, Bill Hemingway and Danny Phillips. Johnson said position responsibilities are still to be decided. He hopes to add at least three more assistants before the Buffaloes begin practice Aug. 1.
“This is an exciting day for me,” said Wilson. “I have a great deal of confidence in these men who have chosen to be a part of ABC football. They’re fine people and have the abilities to be positive influences on the players we’ll have in our program this year.”
Jefferson (Oklahoma State) comes to ABC from NCAA Division II Fort Valley State, where he was the offensive line coach last season on a 7-3 team. Davis (Arkansas) was a high school assistant last year in Texas. Swinton (Murray State) will be making his coaching debut, after a productive five-year NFL career that ended after the 2005 season. Davis, a second-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1994, played five years in the NFL.
Johnson (Grambling State) also comes to ABC from Fort Valley State, where he coached the defensive line in 2006. Hemingway (Arkansas) coached the secondary last year at Paul Quinn College. Hamaker (Arkansas) has coached at two Arkansas high schools in Little Rock and assisted with the 2007 spring workout program for prospective players enrolled at ABC. Phillips (Arkansas) will be making his coaching debut. Phillips, Hemingway and Wilson were teammates at the UofA and are native Arkansans, as are Davis and Hamaker.
All four Little Rock TV stations were represented at the Media Meet The Coaches Luncheon, Nick Walker of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Jeff Reed of the North Little Rock Times covered the event and Mike Harrison of KASR Radio carried a live broadcast. Later that day Wilson and ABC Athletic Director Charles Ripley appeared on 103.7 The Buzz Radio.
Several ABC football players and area high school coaches attended the luncheon, which drew an estimated 60 people. Andre Tucker of SportStar Management presented certificates to corporate sponsors of ABC athletics. Funding for ABC athletics must come through independent sources. For information on corporate sponsorship opportunities, call Tucker at 501 537-8485. SportStar Management has an exclusive contract to market ABC athletics.