Ken Sparks

Ken Sparks

Biographical details
Born	(1944-02-25)February 25, 1944 Knoxville, Tennessee
Died	March 29, 2017(2017-03-29) (aged 73) Knoxville, Tennessee
Playing career
1967	Carson–Newman
Position(s)	Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1977–1979	Farragut HS (TN)
1980–2016	Carson–Newman
Head coaching record
Overall	338–99–2 (college) 29–5 (high school)
Tournaments	19–5 (NAIA D-I playoffs) 19–15 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
5 NAIA Division I (1983–1984, 1986, 1988–1989) 21 SAC (1982–1984, 1986, 1988–1991, 1993–1999, 2002–2004, 2007–2009)
Awards
NAIA Division I Coach of the Year (1984)

Ken Sparks (February 25, 1944 – March 29, 2017) was an American football coach and player. He served as the head football coach at Carson–Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee from 1980 until his retirement at the end of the 2016 season. He is currently the record-holder for the most wins as a coach in NCAA Division II history. His Carson–Newman Eagles won five NAIA Championships (1983–1984, 1986, 1988–1989), and were three times runners-up in the NCAA Division II playoffs (1996, 1998, and 1999).

Biography

Sparks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He played college football as a wide receiver at Carson–Newman and graduated from the school in 1968. He was football coach at Gibbs High School in Knoxville. The next year, he received a master's degree from Tennessee Technological University where he also coached quarterbacks and receivers. He coached at Morristown East High School in Morristown, Tennessee.

In the early 1970s, Sparks was an assistant coach on the Carson–Newman football team that was a runner up in the NAIA championship game. He coached the school's track team and he was named Southern Collegiate Track Coach of the Year. In 1977, he returned to Carson-Newman where he coached the track team.

In the fall, he coached at Farragut High School in Knoxville where he accumulated a 29–5 record. Among his players was Bill Bates.

Following his string of successes, Carson-Newman built the new Burke–Tarr Stadium in 2005.

Sparks, who was once Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Coach of the Year, actively pursues a Christian aspect in his coaching and is a popular public speaker. He was quoted as saying that, if football can be used as a tool to bring people to the Lord, then "it has done something. If it hasn't, we haven't done a thing, no matter how many games we won."

After 37 years as the head coach at Carson-Newman University, Ken Sparks announced his retirement on November 14, 2016 at a press conference in the Ken Sparks Athletic Complex on the campus of Carson-Newman University.

Sparks died March 29, 2017 after a four-year battle with prostate cancer.

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Carson–Newman Eagles (South Atlantic Conference) (1980–2016)
1980	Carson–Newman	7–3	5–2	3rd
1981	Carson–Newman	7–4	4–3	3rd
1982	Carson–Newman	10–2	6–1	1st	L NAIA Division I Quarterfinal
1983	Carson–Newman	10–3	6–1	1st	W NAIA Division I Championship
1984	Carson–Newman	10–2–1	6–1	1st	T NAIA Division I Championship
1985	Carson–Newman	5–5	3–4	5th
1986	Carson–Newman	12–1	6–1	1st	W NAIA Division I Championship
1987	Carson–Newman	10–4	4–3	T–3rd	L NAIA Division I Championship
1988	Carson–Newman	12–2	5–2	T–1st	W NAIA Division I Championship
1989	Carson–Newman	12–1	6–1	1st	W NAIA Division I Championship
1990	Carson–Newman	11–1	7–0	1st	L NAIA Division I Semifinal
1991	Carson–Newman	10–1	7–0	1st	L NAIA Division I Quarterfinal
1992	Carson–Newman	8–3	6–1	2nd	L NAIA Division I Quarterfinal
1993	Carson–Newman	8–2–1	6–1	1st	L NCAA Division II First Round
1994	Carson–Newman	8–3	6–1	T–1st	L NCAA Division II First Round
1995	Carson–Newman	9–3	6–1	1st	L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
1996	Carson–Newman	12–2	6–1	1st	L NCAA Division II Championship
1997	Carson–Newman	11–1	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division II Semifinal
1998	Carson–Newman	12–2	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division II Championship
1999	Carson–Newman	13–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division II Championship
2000	Carson–Newman	8–2	5–2	3rd
2001	Carson–Newman	6–3	5–2	T–2nd
2002	Carson–Newman	12–1	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
2003	Carson–Newman	11–2	6–1	1st	L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
2004	Carson–Newman	9–3	6–1	1st	L NCAA Division II Second Round
2005	Carson–Newman	8–2	5–2	2nd
2006	Carson–Newman	8–3	4–3	4th
2007	Carson–Newman	10–1	5–1	T–1st
2008	Carson–Newman	7–4	5–2	T–1st	L NCAA Division II First Round
2009	Carson–Newman	11–3	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division II Semifinal
2010	Carson–Newman	7–4	5–2	2nd
2011	Carson–Newman	5–6	3–4	5th
2012	Carson–Newman	9–3	5–2	2nd	L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
2013	Carson–Newman	10–3	5–2	2nd	L NCAA Division II Second Round
2014	Carson–Newman	7–3	5–2	2nd
2015	Carson–Newman	9–3	5–2	T–2nd	L NCAA Division II First Round
2016	Carson–Newman	4–7	2–5	7th
Carson–Newman:		338–99–2	203–57
Total:		338–99–2
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

• List of college football coaches with 200 wins
• List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association

External links

• Carson–Newman profile