Carson-Newman’s Sparks Named First Vice-President of American Football Coaches Associations

WACO, Texas - Carson-Newman head football coach Ken Sparks has been named the first vice-president of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He accepted the honor at the annual convention which was held earlier this month in Dallas.

Sparks, who will serve as the president of the organization in 2007, completed his 26th season as the head coach of the Eagles in 2005. He is one of the most successful coaches in the nation at any level. The 1968 Carson-Newman graduate has an overall record of 251-59-2 and is fourth among active coaches in winning percentage in all of college football, ranking behind St. John's (Minn.) John Gagliardi, Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Penn State's Joe Paterno.

Coach Sparks has received numerous awards during his 26 years as the Eagles leader. He has been named South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Coach of the Year 11 times, was selected the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1984, was named National Coach of the Year in 1999 by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the American Football Coaches Magazine and Don Hansen's National Football Gazette. Sparks has been named the Tennessee College Football Coach of the Year twice by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association and is a member of the Halls of Fame of Carson-Newman, The Knoxville Sports Authority and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. He received the All-American Football Foundation's Johnny Vaught Lifetime Achievement in 2002.

Sparks has led the Eagles to 18 SAC titles, 20 trips to the post-season, nine national championship appearances and five national championships. He recorded his 250th career win in 2005 as the Eagles defeated Catawba 33-21.

"I am very grateful to the membership of this great organization to allow me to be a part of the leadership team," Sparks said. "We are in a profession that allows us to make positive impacts on the lives of young men. I am humbled and honored to be a part of an organization like the AFCA which can make a difference to so many people."
The AFCA, founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others, has more than 10,000 members from all levels of the profession. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession," and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching."