FB: American Southwest Conference

[tigerkat]

Head coach Mark Sartain hired Randy Pippin as the Tigers' new defensive coordinator this spring, adding the former head coach of Trinity Valley Community College, Northwest Mississippi Community College and the University of West Alabama to the ETBU staff.

Pippin has spent 14 years of his 23-year coaching career as a head coach, most recently at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, Col., and finishing 12th in the state despite being the smallest school in its classification. Pippin also joins the ETBU staff after serving as national director of the Glazier/Mega Football Coaching Clinics.

Prior to taking on his role with Glazier, Pippin was head coach at Northwest Mississippi, where he led the Rangers to the MACJC North Division championship in 2006. As head coach at the University of West Alabama from 2001-2003, Pippin was recognized as the Small College Coach of the Year in Alabama in 2002 after leading the team to its most wins in 10 years.

Before taking the job at West Alabama, Pippin was athletic director and head football coach at Middle Georgia College from 1998-2000 where he produced two 10-win seasons and two bowl champions. One of his players at Middle Georgia, Kendrell Bell, went on to become the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Pippin was offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech in 1996-97, where he coached the school's all-time leader in total offense at the time.

One of his most successful runs as a college head coach came at Trinity Valley from 1993-95, where he led the Cardinals to a 24-8-2 mark that included the 1994 junior college national championship. He coached 19 all-conference players at TVCC and six All-Americans, including kicker Matt Bryant and cornerback Al Harris, both of whom went on to careers in the NFL.

The 1994 national champion team finished 12-0 and maintained a No. 1 ranking from start to finish. Following that season, Pippin was named NJCAA Coach of the Year.

He had served as Trinity Valley's defensive coordinator from 1990-92 before being named head coach just prior to the 1993 season.

A native of Mesquite, Texas, and a graduate of North Mesquite High School, Pippin was a standout running back at Cisco Junior College and Tennessee Tech. He later began his coaching career with assistant positions at Middle Tennessee State and at Tennessee Tech.

A published author and speaker, Pippin speaks nationally on "Implementing Character Qualities for Success," and various scheme topics. He holds a master's degree in Health Education and is married to the former Sally Horton of Cookeville, Tenn. They have three daughters, Natalie, Holly and Libby.

[Ralph Turner]

Head coach Mark Sartain hired Randy Pippin as the Tigers' new defensive coordinator this spring, adding the former head coach of Trinity Valley Community College, Northwest Mississippi Community College and the University of West Alabama to the ETBU staff.

Pippin has spent 14 years of his 23-year coaching career as a head coach, most recently at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, Col., and finishing 12th in the state despite being the smallest school in its classification. Pippin also joins the ETBU staff after serving as national director of the Glazier/Mega Football Coaching Clinics.

Prior to taking on his role with Glazier, Pippin was head coach at Northwest Mississippi, where he led the Rangers to the MACJC North Division championship in 2006. As head coach at the University of West Alabama from 2001-2003, Pippin was recognized as the Small College Coach of the Year in Alabama in 2002 after leading the team to its most wins in 10 years.

Before taking the job at West Alabama, Pippin was athletic director and head football coach at Middle Georgia College from 1998-2000 where he produced two 10-win seasons and two bowl champions. One of his players at Middle Georgia, Kendrell Bell, went on to become the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Pippin was offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech in 1996-97, where he coached the school's all-time leader in total offense at the time.

One of his most successful runs as a college head coach came at Trinity Valley from 1993-95, where he led the Cardinals to a 24-8-2 mark that included the 1994 junior college national championship. He coached 19 all-conference players at TVCC and six All-Americans, including kicker Matt Bryant and cornerback Al Harris, both of whom went on to careers in the NFL.

The 1994 national champion team finished 12-0 and maintained a No. 1 ranking from start to finish. Following that season, Pippin was named NJCAA Coach of the Year.

He had served as Trinity Valley's defensive coordinator from 1990-92 before being named head coach just prior to the 1993 season.

A native of Mesquite, Texas, and a graduate of North Mesquite High School, Pippin was a standout running back at Cisco Junior College and Tennessee Tech. He later began his coaching career with assistant positions at Middle Tennessee State and at Tennessee Tech.

A published author and speaker, Pippin speaks nationally on "Implementing Character Qualities for Success," and various scheme topics. He holds a master's degree in Health Education and is married to the former Sally Horton of Cookeville, Tenn. They have three daughters, Natalie, Holly and Libby.

3 daughters...
One of these days, I am going to the THSCA meeting and do a scientific survey of the genders of the offspring of the football coaches in the state.

[Toby Taff]

i don'y know about coaches, Ralph, but i know a lot of people with 3 daughters and no boys. self included.

[etbu27]

Everyone here is really excited to have Coach Pippin. The defense hasn't lost a step and he is pushing harder than they have been pushed before. (Which is needed if you look at our stats. lol)

[etbu27]

So fellas, Ive been reading around about re-alignments and provisional D-III schools all over the place? Aside from the obvious (McM and Centenary...which currently does not have football) do you see the ASC changing any?

My bets are on UMHB going up and Centenary adding football.
Id also like to see Sul Ross ousted...horrible trip for a mismatch team/school.

Replacing UMHB with Centenary is fine but who replaces Sul Ross if they do get the boot? Hypothetically speaking of course. Austin College again? Millsaps? SAGU?

Dont hate me Im playing devil's advocate here, stirring up thought conversations. Change is on the horizon so.....

[Ron Boerger]

AC and (IMO) Millsaps have no desire to be in the ASC.    In terms of football, AC was not competitive in the ASC, isn't that competitive in the SCAC - what's their motivation to come back and get pounded again?.   Millsaps is Southern, not Southwestern, with all the cultural implications that term brings with it.    The Majors have been in the SCAC since 1988 and I don't see any overarching reason they would want to leave.   ASC travel's going to be about as bad as SCAC travel, and Millsaps (1150 students) aligns better with the schools in the SCAC than the ASC.

Obviously, SAGU would have to leave the NAIA, but would the ASC want them?

[btyndall]

not to change the subject but with so many returning players to mcm's defense plus some great new recruits, word is that mcm is going to be stronger on defense and still have a potent offense.

[peaster68]

Millsaps is Southern, not Southwestern, with all the cultural implications that term brings with it.

And Mississippi College is not??? 

[Ralph Turner]

AC and (IMO) Millsaps have no desire to be in the ASC.    In terms of football, AC was not competitive in the ASC, isn't that competitive in the SCAC - what's their motivation to come back and get pounded again?.   Millsaps is Southern, not Southwestern, with all the cultural implications that term brings with it.    The Majors have been in the SCAC since 1988 and I don't see any overarching reason they would want to leave.   ASC travel's going to be about as bad as SCAC travel, and Millsaps (1150 students) aligns better with the schools in the SCAC than the ASC.

Obviously, SAGU would have to leave the NAIA, but would the ASC want them?

I agree.

SRSU is a charter member of the ASC and its predecessor, the Texas Intercollegaite Athletic Association TIAA.  They will be the last charter member if/when McMurry moves to D-II.

Centenary adding football is a likely possibilty.  Dave Voskuil, the VP for Admissions at Centenary, was at NC Wesleyan when they added football. The Centenary President was at LaGrange when they added football.

I have wondered if/when ConcordiaTX would add football, to increase its enrollment.  They are in a huge football area and can draw from 12 million Texans in a 4 hour radius of Austin (DFW, I-35 Corridor, San Antonio, I-10 Corridor and Houston).

[Ralph Turner]

Millsaps is Southern, not Southwestern, with all the cultural implications that term brings with it.

And Mississippi College is not??? 

Mississippi College came to the ASC (or was it part of the brilliance of Fred Jacoby to help bring Mississippi) from D-II into D-III.  Way back when, Mississippi College needed a home and the ASC provided it or helped create the ASC.  There were a lot of brilliant minds who put this together.  The southern aspect of the ASC has always been Ozarks and Mississippi College.

[Ron Boerger]

Millsaps is Southern, not Southwestern, with all the cultural implications that term brings with it.

And Mississippi College is not??? 

What Ralph said.  The ASC was the only port in the D3 storm as the SCAC in 1996 had all the schools it wanted and the other Southern conference, the USA South (née Dixie Conference) was way too distant.   Ironically, the SCAC would add two Northern schools over the next couple of years - travel partners Rose-Hulman and DePauw - both of which will have left the conference by the end of this year.

[TxFight]

not to change the subject but with so many returning players to mcm's defense plus some great new recruits, word is that mcm is going to be stronger on defense and still have a potent offense.

I personally think McMurry is going to be a tough W for every team in the ASC.  If they can survive their first 2 games intact and with some confidence then they can make a serious run at the ASC title.  Scheduling SFA and UTSA is either going to be a genius move by Mumme (playing them even relatively close and coming away injury free) or well not because a date with UMHB in Belton is awaiting to open conference. 

[etbu27]

not to change the subject but with so many returning players to mcm's defense plus some great new recruits, word is that mcm is going to be stronger on defense and still have a potent offense.

I personally think McMurry is going to be a tough W for every team in the ASC.  If they can survive their first 2 games intact and with some confidence then they can make a serious run at the ASC title.  Scheduling SFA and UTSA is either going to be a genius move by Mumme (playing them even relatively close and coming away injury free) or well not because a date with UMHB in Belton is awaiting to open conference. 

IMHO McMurry will be playing with 10 men come conference time. SFA and UTSA will do nothing for them other than get them injured and embarrassed. They havent even been a decent D-3 team until last year and even then they weren't all that impressive. HOWEVER I think it is great for Division 3 for them to play these games. (Even if they are doing it to show their D-II intentions.)

[etbu27]

On top of that, Id like to see football down at Concordia. In fact it would worry me a smidge if they added football. Being across the street from UT is a pretty neat place to play on Saturdays.

I know nothing about Ozarks but I also think it'd be nice to get an Arkansas game in the mix as well. Its not a bad trip up there for anyone other than SRSU.

[Ron Boerger]

Concordia's no longer next to UT ... they moved to the old Schlumberger campus off RR 620 (north of 2222).  The good news is they have plenty of land on which to erect a new football field.  If a donor (or donors) come through to support football like they did baseball - they just opened a beautiful new field there - I can't see why they wouldn't add the sport.  

With re McM ... UTSA isn't going to beat them up too badly as it's a first year D1 program without much in the way of name signees.  SFA, on the other hand, could do some damage.    

And re Arkansas football .. Hendrix (in Conway, AR) has football on the agenda.  The only question is when will they actually do something about it.  The decision was announced right before the stock market crash, and until someone comes up with some cash, the feeling is they're not going to do anything.   It wouldn't be a conference game, obviously, but with D3 non-conference games in the 'area' hard to come by, they'll no doubt entertain a game or two against ASC opponents once they get going.