If we are gonna look at lower level coaches, Mark Hudspeth

biguglyjoe · Dec 2, 2008

would love the opportunity, I am told.
<table id="table42" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Head Football Coach Mark Hudspeth - 2008</td> <td> Return to Lions Football Homepage >>> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

In six seasons as head football coach at the University of North Alabama, Mark Hudspeth has helped revive the Lion program and put UNA back on the map as a perennial force in the Gulf South Conference and the NCAA Division II. In his first six seasons at UNA, Hudspeth has posted the best record of any previous Lion head coach in their first six years - leading the Lions to a 54-19 mark, two Gulf South Conference titles and four NCAA Division II playoff appearances. Over the last five years, UNA has the winningest college football team in the state of Alabama with a 50-12 record. Last season Hudspeth led UNA to a 10-2 record, marking just the second time in school history that the Lions had won 10 or more games in three straight seasons. The Lions also made their third straight playoff appearance and fourth in the last five seasons, reaching the quarterfinals. With a No. 6 ranking in the final 2007 Division II poll, Hudspeth has seen his teams rank in the Top 6 in the final Division II rankings four times in the last five years, finishing fifth in 2003, fourth in 2005 and sixth in 2006 and 2007. In 2006 the Lions had an 11-1 record, won a GSC title and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs. Hudspeth was selected Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year for the second time by his peers and was also selected Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.

In 2005, Hudspeth led a UNA squad that went 11-3 and reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs for the second time in three years. Along the way the Lions broke 44 school and six Gulf South Conference records, with four Lions earning All-American honors. Lion receiver Anthony Merritt was also a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy and Lion offensive lineman Lance Ancar won the Rimington Trophy as the top center in Division II. In just his second season as a collegiate head coach in 2003, Hudspeth fashioned one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NCAA Division II football history and led UNA within one game of playing for the national championship. Hudspeth became the seventh head football coach in UNA history in 2002 and inherited a program that had won three previous national championships and had been the winningest school in the state of Alabama in the 1980s and 1990s, but was riding a three-year losing streak. The Lions went 4-7 in Hudspeth's first season, then kicked into high gear in 2003 with a 13-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals. Hudspeth's 2003 Lions won the school's seventh Gulf South Conference championship and became the first team in school history to win 11 regular- season games. For his efforts, Hudspeth was named GSC Coach of the Year in just his second season as a collegiate head coach. He was also selected NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and was named National Coach of the Year by American Football Quarterly, Football Gazette and by CollegeSportsReport.com. The Lions also had a school-record 13 players selected for the All-Gulf South Conference team, five players received All-American honors and and Lion quarterback Will Hall won the Harlon Hill Trophy as NCAA Division II Player of the Year. In 2003 the Lions broke 37 school records, three Gulf South Conference records and two NCAA Division II National records. In 2004 UNA spent eight weeks in the Division II Top 25 before finishing the season at 5-5. UNA climbed as high as No. 6 in the nation in the polls.

Maroon Eagle · Dec 2, 2008

I'd rather have a retread than someone with little Division I experience.

MSUCostanza · Dec 2, 2008

You think a guy coaching Division II would love an opportunity to be head coach at an SEC school? Amazing.

No thanks on Hudspeth, not yet. Impressive guy, but I think he needs some D-I experience as a coordinator and in recruiting before you throw him in as the head guy at this level. Too big a leap. I imagine he'll do well, but we can't really afford to take a huge gamble now that we've completed Year Eight of our rebuilding process.

AgDawg · Dec 2, 2008

If he recruits as well as he coordinates his offense then I think he will do great.

java the mutt · Dec 2, 2008

To get a good look at the man in action. His quaterback is one of three finalist for the D2 Heisman. AJ Milwee an U of A transfer who came in the same class with John Parker Wilson. Oh and that Bobby Hall fellow, his son won the D2 Heisman under Hudspeth.

Agentdog · Dec 2, 2008

Assistant coaches do the bulk of the recruiting anyway. If he had some experienced assistant coaches, he would be just fine. But Hudspeth isn't hip here. So I digress.

patdog · Dec 2, 2008

It's realistic to make the jump from I-AA to I-A, even to a BCS school (see Jim Tressel). But the gap between I-AA and II is HUGE (SWAC excepted). Div. II isn't much more than a glorified JUCO league.

biguglyjoe · Dec 2, 2008

MSUCostanza said:
You think a guy coaching Division II would love an opportunity to be head coach at an SEC school? Amazing.

No thanks on Hudspeth, not yet. Impressive guy, but I think he needs some D-I experience as a coordinator and in recruiting before you throw him in as the head guy at this level. Too big a leap. I imagine he'll do well, but we can't really afford to take a huge gamble now that we've completed Year Eight of our rebuilding process.

No, I know he would. Some DII coaches may not feel up to the challenge. No need to be a douche.

millsaps05 · Dec 2, 2008

How about hired as the offensive coordinator here? What do you guys think of that idea?

Coach34 · Dec 2, 2008

"but I think he needs some D-I experience as a coordinator and in recruiting before you throw him in as the head guy at this level."

He was the OC at Navy for a year before going to UNA

kdw3486 · Dec 2, 2008

He is a Mississippi guy. He was born in AL, but he lettered four years at Delta State. He also has family in MS. His two kids live in Grenada and go to school with my kids. The man deserves a chance. I may be partial, but I don't care. With his track record, he definitely should be looked at. By the way, didn't we just have a coach that had D1 coaching experience as an assistant? it didn't turn out so well. For the limited money that we can spend, I think that he would be worth a look.

itawambadog · Dec 2, 2008

I've been to a few UNA games and most of the time they blow out the other team but got to see them play Delta State last year and it was a really great game. I think he could coach in the big leagues some day but i think he needs to either coach 1AA or a non BCS conference first, like CUSA or Sun Belt, first before joining the SEC.

robdogt · Dec 2, 2008

worked out for Jim Tressel at Ohio State has it? Since his jump from I-AA Youngstown State, Tressel's Ohio State record is 83-18 with 4 Big Ten titles. I can't believe OSU has kept him as long as they have.

Stormrider81 · Dec 2, 2008

java the mutt · Dec 2, 2008

Add Paul Jonson to that list...Ga Southern to Navy

lawdawg02 · Dec 2, 2008

he said tressel doesn't apply to this argument because he was I-AA, not D-II.

i think hudspeth could be a good choice for OC, but i'm not sure he's the guy to hand the reins too just yet, if we really are hoping to make a big-time hire.

Maroon Eagle · Dec 2, 2008

I can only think of two recent Division II coaches who became Division 1-A/FBS coaches.

1. Bobby Wallace was in a bad situation at Temple.
2. Hal Mumme left with Kentucky on probation, restarted SE Louisiana's program, and recently was fired by New Mexico State

I had thought Dennis Franchione went straight from Pittsburg State to New Mexico, but he was at Texas State for a couple seasons (1990-1991).

If we are gonna look at lower level coaches, Mark Hudspeth

biguglyjoe

Redshirt

Maroon Eagle

All-American

MSUCostanza

Redshirt

AgDawg

Redshirt

java the mutt

Redshirt

Agentdog

Redshirt

patdog

Heisman

biguglyjoe

Redshirt

millsaps05

Redshirt

Coach34

Redshirt

kdw3486

Redshirt

itawambadog

Redshirt

robdogt

Redshirt

Stormrider81

Redshirt

java the mutt

Redshirt

lawdawg02

Redshirt

Maroon Eagle

All-American