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

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffsNAIA/NCAA/AFCA#
Carson–Newman Eagles (South Atlantic Conference) (1980–2016)
1980Carson–Newman7–35–23rd
1981Carson–Newman7–44–33rd
1982Carson–Newman10–26–11stL NAIA Division I Quarterfinal3
1983Carson–Newman10–36–11stW NAIA Division I Championship12
1984Carson–Newman10–2–16–11stT NAIA Division I Championship5
1985Carson–Newman5–53–45th
1986Carson–Newman12–16–11stW NAIA Division I Championship2
1987Carson–Newman10–44–3T–3rdL NAIA Division I Championship9
1988Carson–Newman12–25–2T–1stW NAIA Division I Championship8
1989Carson–Newman12–16–11stW NAIA Division I Championship4
1990Carson–Newman11–17–01stL NAIA Division I Semifinal1
1991Carson–Newman10–17–01stL NAIA Division I Quarterfinal3
1992Carson–Newman8–36–12ndL NAIA Division I Quarterfinal5
1993Carson–Newman8–2–16–11stL NCAA Division II First Round14
1994Carson–Newman8–36–1T–1stL NCAA Division II First Round16
1995Carson–Newman9–36–11stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal6
1996Carson–Newman12–26–11stL NCAA Division II Championship6
1997Carson–Newman11–17–01stL NCAA Division II Semifinal1
1998Carson–Newman12–27–01stL NCAA Division II Championship3
1999Carson–Newman13–18–01stL NCAA Division II Championship1
2000Carson–Newman8–25–23rd7 (South)
2001Carson–Newman6–35–2T–2nd
2002Carson–Newman12–17–01stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal3
2003Carson–Newman11–26–11stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal8
2004Carson–Newman9–36–11stL NCAA Division II Second Round14
2005Carson–Newman8–25–22nd
2006Carson–Newman8–34–34th
2007Carson–Newman10–15–1T–1st14
2008Carson–Newman7–45–2T–1stL NCAA Division II First Round18
2009Carson–Newman11–37–01stL NCAA Division II Semifinal4
2010Carson–Newman7–45–22nd
2011Carson–Newman5–63–45th
2012Carson–Newman9–35–22ndL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal13
2013Carson–Newman10–35–22ndL NCAA Division II Second Round17
2014Carson–Newman7–35–22nd
2015Carson–Newman9–35–2T–2ndL NCAA Division II First Round21
2016Carson–Newman4–72–57th
Carson–Newman:338–99–2203–57
Total:338–99–2
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth
#Rankings from NAIA Division I poll from 1982 to 1992, NCAA Division II Football Committee poll from 1993 to 1999, AFCA poll from 2000 to 2015.

See also

External links