The Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represents
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University (A-State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. It is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System and the second-largest university in the st ...
in
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA)
Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS)
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
competition. The team was founded in 1911 and has competed as a member of the
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
since 2001. Their home field is
Centennial Bank Stadium
Centennial Bank Stadium is a football stadium located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on the campus of Arkansas State University that is home to the Arkansas State Red Wolves football team. The stadium opened in 1974 as Indian Stadium named after the ...
and the head coach is
Butch Jones
Lyle Allen "Butch" Jones Jr. (born January 17, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at Arkansas State University. Jones previously served as a special assistant to the head coach and offensive analyst at the Univ ...
.
The Red Wolves have claimed 12 conference championships. Arkansas State's most recent conference championship came in
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
. The team claims one national championship, which came in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
at the
NCAA College Division
The NCAA College Division was a historic subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) consisting of member schools competing at a lower level of college sports. The NCAA initially divided schools into a College Division and a ...
level.
In 2008, the school changed its mascot from the Indians to the Red Wolves.
History
Early years (1911–1953)
The school was founded in 1909, and, two years later, Arkansas State fielded its first football team. In 1918, the team was temporarily disbanded due to the First World War. Arkansas State played without conference affiliation until 1929 when it joined the
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
The Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was an athletic conference in existence from 1927 or 1928 to 1995 affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference membership consisted entirely of college ...
. From 1937 until 1953, Arkansas State competed as a member of the
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...
(NJCAA).
[Arkansas State Historical Data](_blank)
, College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved March 11, 2009. After the 1941 season, the football program was interrupted due to World War II and did not resume until the 1945 season. The school left the AIC in 1950 and would remain independent of conference affiliation for the next 12 years.
During the 1950s under coach
Forrest England, A-State emerged as a bit of a regional football power, appearing in four post-season bowl games from 1951 to 1953. The Indians compiled a 48–22–9 record under England. The Indians played in two bowls at the end of the 1951 season, winning the
Refrigerator Bowl and losing the
Tangerine Bowl (now known as the Capital One Bowl). The Indians lost the 1952 Refrigerator Bowl and tied the 1953 Tangerine Bowl.
College Division years (1953–1972)
In 1953, Arkansas State moved to the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
, and played as a member of the College Division through 1972.
The early part of this era was characterized by mediocre records under several short-term head coaches. In 1962 head coach
King Block departed for
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
where he was to serve as defensive line coach.
Bennie Ellender was promoted from defensive backs coach to head coach, replacing Block in 1963 just prior to A-State joining the
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...
. Ellender would serve for 8 seasons compiling a 52–20–4 record culminating in an undefeated 11–0 College Division National Championship year in 1970. This championship season included a victory over
Central Missouri State in the
Pecan Bowl
The Pecan Bowl was the name of two college football bowl games played in two different eras. The initial version, in 1946 and 1947, was contested by historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The later version, held from 1964 through 197 ...
, the Indians' 3rd consecutive bowl appearance under Ellender and 3rd straight Southland Conference championship. Ellender departed after the 1970 season to accept the head football coach position at his alma mater
Tulane
The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it be ...
.
Divisional realignment years (1973–1991)
In 1973, under head coach
Bill Davidson, the Indians were assigned to the newly created
Division II. They remained in this classification for one year before being promoted to Division I.
Arkansas State recorded an undefeated season (going 11–0) in Division I in 1975 and was one of only two undefeated Division I football teams that year. Arkansas State is one of only four institutions to have gone undefeated and not win a national championship at the Division I-A (now Division I FBS) level. Since Arkansas State was a member of the Southland Conference, and the league did not have a bowl game tie-in, Arkansas State was not selected for post-season play despite being undefeated. As a result of this inequity, the
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bow ...
in
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...
was created (though A-State has never played in the game). Davidson retired after the 1978 season due to health problems. Davidson compiled a 51–32–1 record during his tenure.

During the 1980s, under head coach
Larry Lacewell, Arkansas State played in the
NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) compiling a 69–58–4 record and making four appearances in the playoffs, including a loss in the national championship game in 1986 to
Georgia Southern, 48–21. After the 1986 season Arkansas State left the Southland Conference and became a
I-AA Independent. Lacewell left A-State in 1989 after 11 seasons to accept an offer to be
Johnny Majors' defensive coordinator at
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
.
Lacewell's departure came as the decision was being reached for Arkansas State to pursue entry into what is now Division I FBS.
FBS transition years (1992–2010)

The transition from I-AA (FCS) to I-A (FBS) football was a painful one for Arkansas State. The school spent most of the decade as a
I-A Independent with two separate two-year stints as a member of the
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
.
Al Kincaid came to Jonesboro from his post as an assistant at
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. He served as head coach for two seasons, posting 4–17–1 record before his dismissal. Kincaid was replaced by former
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
head coach
Ray Perkins
Walter Ray Perkins (November 6, 1941 – December 9, 2020) was an American football coach and player. He played as a wide receiver for the University of Alabama and Baltimore Colts. He later worked as a football coach for 28 years, including sti ...
. Perkins tenure was highly anticipated but ultimately a failure as he posted a 2–9 record in one season before joining
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells ( ; born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 19 ...
' staff with the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
as offensive coordinator.
Perkins was replaced by offensive line coach
John Bobo who oversaw moderate improvements to the team's performance including A-State's first winning record since the start of the transition but he was unable to sustain that success and was fired after the 1996 season.
Bobo was replaced by the highly sought after offensive coordinator at
Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
,
Joe Hollis. Hollis was unable to adapt and posted a 13–43 record in five seasons before being relieved after the 2001 season.
In 2001 the
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
added football and Arkansas State joined the conference as an inaugural football member.
Steve Roberts came to Arkansas State from
Northwestern State
Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Johnson and Alexandria. It is a part of the Un ...
and was A-State's head football coach for nine seasons (2002–2010), where he compiled a 45–63 record. Although Roberts finished with an overall losing record at Arkansas State, the A-State football program made great strides under his leadership. During the 2005 football season, Arkansas State finished the regular season as Sun Belt Conference champions with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses and was invited to the
New Orleans Bowl. This was the school's first bowl game since the trip to the 1970
Pecan Bowl
The Pecan Bowl was the name of two college football bowl games played in two different eras. The initial version, in 1946 and 1947, was contested by historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The later version, held from 1964 through 197 ...
and subsequent national college division championship. The Indians lost to
The University of Southern Mississippi in the game, which was played that year in the city of
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette ( , ) is the most populous city in and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Lafayette Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located along the Vermilion River (Louisiana), Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's List of municipaliti ...
due to the lingering effects of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
. The NCAA required Arkansas State to forfeit six football wins from the 2006 season and four from 2005 season in football saying the school used ineligible players. The NCAA also said that it has cut one football for two years. The penalties stem from the school allowing 31 ineligible athletes during the 2005–08 seasons because of a failure to meet NCAA rules on progress-toward-degree requirements.
In 2008, Arkansas State changed its name from the Indians to the Red Wolves and defeated
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
in their inaugural game with the new mascot. Players recruited by Roberts were the foundation of the highly successful teams of the "One and Done" era.
Freeze-Malzahn-Harsin era (2011–2013)
This three-year period saw the Red Wolves achieve remarkable success on the field in the midst of turnover in its coaching staff. The players recruited by Steve Roberts played in three conference championships and three bowl games, and had two 10-win seasons under three different head coaches. Red Wolf players played all three bowl games without their head coach and with depleted coaching staffs. The program's continued success during the adversity of constant coaching changes received considerable national attention.

In 2011, led by first-year head coach
Hugh Freeze
Danny Hugh Freeze Jr. (born September 27, 1969) is an American college football coach. Since 2023, he has served as the head coach for Auburn University.
A successful high school football coach at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tenne ...
, Arkansas State went undefeated in the Sun Belt conference, a perfect 8–0 record, as well as going 10–2 overall. After the last regular season game, Freeze took the head coaching job at
Ole Miss
OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to:
* Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain
* Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole
* Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains
Co ...
, taking four assistants with him. Running backs coach David Gunn was named the interim head coach and led the team to Mobile, Alabama for the
2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl. In that bowl, held on January 8, 2012, the Red Wolves were led by quarterback Ryan Aplin, as they squared off against the
Northern Illinois Huskies
The Northern Illinois Huskies are the athletic teams that represent Northern Illinois University (NIU). The Huskies are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I and the Mid-American Conference (M ...
at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Northern Illinois rallied back from a thirteen-point deficit for a 38–20 victory. Also in attendance in Mobile was
Gus Malzahn
Arthur Gustav Malzahn III (; born October 28, 1965) is an American college football coach who is the offensive coordinator at Florida State. He was the head coach at the University of Central Florida ( UCF) from 2021 to 2024, Auburn University fr ...
, who was named Arkansas State's new head football coach on December 14, 2011.
Gus Malzahn
Arthur Gustav Malzahn III (; born October 28, 1965) is an American college football coach who is the offensive coordinator at Florida State. He was the head coach at the University of Central Florida ( UCF) from 2021 to 2024, Auburn University fr ...
came to the Red Wolves from
Auburn, where he had served the previous three seasons as offensive coordinator. In 2012, Arkansas State lost only one game in the Sun Belt Conference. For the first time in school history, they had back to back 10 win seasons (10–3 in 2012) and back to back Sun Belt conference championships. On December 4, 2012, Malzahn announced his return to
Auburn as head coach, thus making it two years in a row the team would be coached by an interim in the post season. John Thompson coached the team to 17–13 victory at the
2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl against No. 25
Kent State on January 6, 2013. Former
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate team representing the University of Texas at Austin (variously Texas or UT) in the sport of American football. The Texas Longhorns, Longhorns compete in the NCAA Division I Football B ...
offensive coordinator
Bryan Harsin was named on December 11, 2012, to succeed the departing Malzahn.
In 2013, Arkansas State under
Bryan Harsin won the Sun Belt Conference, and received a bid to the GoDaddy Bowl for the 3rd time in as many years with a 7–5 (5–2 conference) regular season record. They were deemed co-champions this year with the UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns who were also 5–2 in conference. Before the GoDaddy Bowl, Harsin joined his predecessors in announcing his departure after one season to coach at his alma mater,
Boise State
Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It ...
. Harsin's contract included a $1.75 million buyout which was paid by Boise State. Defensive Coordinator
John Thompson coached the team in the
GoDaddy Bowl where Arkansas State blocked a Ball State field goal in the final seconds to hold on to a 23–20 win.
A noteworthy point of interest of all three of these coaches, they would all eventually go on to become the head coach of the
Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) a ...
.
Blake Anderson era (2014–2020)
On December 19, 2013, Arkansas State hired
Blake Anderson as the new head coach away from his offensive coordinator post at the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
.
In an attempt to end the "One and Done" era and provide much-needed coaching stability, Arkansas State placed a hefty
buyout
In finance, a buyout is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity, or a controlling interest of a company, or a majority share of the capital stock of the company is acquired. The acquirer thereby "buys out" the present equity holde ...
provision in Anderson's $700,000 per year five-year contract specifying a $3 million buyout for the first two years, $2 million for the third and fourth years, and $1 million in the final year.
The Red Wolves opened the
2015 season 0–2 with losses to both No. 8
USC USC may refer to:
Education
United States
* Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico
* University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina
* ...
and No. 21
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. Arkansas State would go on to win 9 of the next 11 with victories over
App State and rival
Louisiana-Monroe. With their win over App State on November 5, the Red Wolves glided to their 4th
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered stretching across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the Parallel 36°30′ north. Several climates can be found in the re ...
title since 2010 and an appearance in the
New Orleans Bowl.
Expectations were high for the
2016 season but the Red Wolves started the campaign with four straight losses to
Toledo,
Auburn,
Utah State and in-state
FCS opponent
Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas, also known as the Little Rock metro, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state ...
. But during
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
play the Red Wolves reeled off six straight victories including a road win against No. 25
Troy
Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
that denied the Trojans a share of the Sun Belt crown. The Red Wolves had a chance to secure a sole conference championship by winning its last two games but faltered when a last-second touchdown was reversed by replay at
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. The Red Wolves secured a win in their final regular season game at
Texas State which assured them of a shared conference championship with
Appalachian State. The Red Wolves were selected for the
2016 Cure Bowl where they defeated
UCF 31–13 in their own hometown. On Dec 10, 2020, Anderson resigned.
Butch Jones era (2020–present)
Butch Jones
Lyle Allen "Butch" Jones Jr. (born January 17, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at Arkansas State University. Jones previously served as a special assistant to the head coach and offensive analyst at the Univ ...
was announced as the Red Wolves head coach on December 12, 2020. Jones had previous head coaching stints at
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula of the United States, U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said t ...
,
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
and
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
and prior to his hire at Arkansas State was a special assistant to
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. ( ; born October 31, 1951) is an American sportscaster and former Professional gridiron football, professional and college football coach. He serves as an analyst for ESPN's ''College GameDay (football TV program), Colleg ...
at
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
.
Division history
Conference affiliations
Arkansas State has been both independent and affiliated with multiple conferences.
* Independent (1911–1929, 1951–1963, 1987–1992, 1996–1998)
*
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
The Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was an athletic conference in existence from 1927 or 1928 to 1995 affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference membership consisted entirely of college ...
(1930–1950)
*
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...
(1964–1986)
*
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
(1993–1995, 1999–2000)
*
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
(2001–present)
Championships
National championships
Arkansas State claims one national championship, a 1970
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...
championship.
Conference championships
Arkansas State claims 12 conference titles, most recently of the
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
in
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
.
† Co-champions
Postseason games
College division and other bowl games
Arkansas State (then known as the Indians) went 3–3–1 in six games that were "College Division" bowl games prior to the NCAA instituting playoffs for lower division teams in 1973. They participated in two bowl game in one season (1951), playing one on December 2 and the other on January 1.
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoff games
The Red Wolves have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs four times with an overall record of 6–4.
NCAA Division I-A/FBS bowl games
The Red Wolves have played in twelve bowl games, garnering a record of 5–7.
Head coaches
There have been 34 different head coaching tenures at Arkansas State.
The current head coach is
Butch Jones
Lyle Allen "Butch" Jones Jr. (born January 17, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at Arkansas State University. Jones previously served as a special assistant to the head coach and offensive analyst at the Univ ...
, who was hired on December 12, 2020.
† 10 wins later vacated due to NCAA sanctions, 45–63 record on-field.
‡ Interim head coach
Rivalries
Memphis
The series between the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Memphis, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the American Athletic C ...
is the oldest as well as the longest the A-State program has had and is the second most often played series for Memphis. The first game was played in 1914.
There have been some memorable moments in the series. In 2004, Memphis defeated Arkansas State 47–35 before 30,427 fans, the largest crowd to ever watch a game at then-named Indian Stadium. In 2006, Arkansas State beat Memphis at the
Liberty Bowl Stadium in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
after a last second
Hail Mary
The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the ...
touchdown to secure the win, 26–23, and end a ten-game losing streak to the Tigers. The teams met again in 2007 at Indian Stadium, where the Indians rallied in the second half to beat the Tigers 35–31 after trailing 31–6 at halftime. The schools have met 59 times, with the Tigers leading the series 30–24–5.
In 2016, the schools announced the series will be brought back once again starting in 2020. Arkansas State and Memphis have four games slated from 2020 to 2023. The first game will be played in Memphis on September 5, 2020.
Players
Current NFL players
*
Don Jones,
S
*
Demario Davis,
LB,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
*
Blake Grupe,
K,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
*
Kelcie McCray,
S,
*
Derek Newton,
OT
*
Ryan Carrethers,
NT
*
J. D. McKissic,
RB,
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...
*
Omar Bayless,
WR,
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
*
Kirk Merritt
Kirk Merritt (born January 5, 1997) is an American professional football running back and wide receiver for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Arkansas State.
Early life
Merritt grew up ...
,
WR,
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
Current CFL players
*
Bryan Hall,
DT,
*
Justin McInnis,
WR,
*Kendall Sanders
WR,
*Cody Grace,
P
*
Kyle Wilson,
LB
Former players
*Ryan Aplin,
QB
*Reggie Arnold,
RB
*
Fred Barnett,
WR
*
Bill Bergey
William Earl Bergey (February 9, 1945 – December 25, 2024) was an American professional football linebacker who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), most notably with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football ...
,
LB
*
Alex Carrington
Alex Carrington (born June 19, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played colle ...
,
DT
*
Maurice Carthon,
RB
*
Carlos Emmons,
LB
*
Leroy Harris,
RB
*
M. D. Jennings,
S
*
Bill Johnson,
RB
*
Tyrell Johnson,
S
*
Ken Jones,
OL
*
Cleo Lemon,
QB
*
Ron Meeks
Ron Meeks (born August 27, 1954) is a former gridiron football player and coach. His son is former Stanford cornerback Quenton Meeks.
Meeks played high school football for the Robert E. Lee Generals in Jacksonville, Florida. Meeks played coll ...
,
DB
*
Dennis Meyer,
DB
*
Jerry Muckensturm,
LB
*
Kyle Richardson
Kyle Davis Richardson (born March 2, 1973) is a former National Football League (NFL) punter. He played college football at Arkansas State University and went on to have a ten-year professional career. He played for the Rhein Fire in NFL Eur ...
,
P
*
Elbert Shelley,
DB
*
Ray Brown,
OL
*
Oren O'Neal,
FB
*
Corey Williams,
DT
*
Mitch Young,
DE
*James Hickenbotham, All Purpose
*
David Johnson,
TE
*
Chris Odom,
LB
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 22, 2025.
References
External links
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{{Sun Belt Conference football navbox
American football teams established in 1911
1911 establishments in Arkansas