Mark Hudspeth

Last updated

Mark Hudspeth
SunBeltMD-2016-0725-MarkHudspeth.png
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Gulf Shores HS (AL)
Record17–6
Biographical details
Born (1968-11-10) November 10, 1968 (age 54)
Louisville, Mississippi, U.S.
Playing career
1987–1991 Delta State
Position(s) Safety, quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–1993 Central Arkansas (GA)
1994 Nicholls State (WR/TE)
1995Nicholls State (RB)
1996–1997 Winston Academy (MS)
1998Central Arkansas (DB)
1999–2000 Delta State (OC)
2001 Navy (OC)
2002–2008 North Alabama
2009–2010 Mississippi State (WR/PGC)
2011–2017 Louisiana–Lafayette
2018Mississippi State (AHC/TE)
2019 Austin Peay
2021–present Gulf Shores HS (AL)
Head coaching record
Overall106–63 (college)
42–7 (high school)
Bowls2–1 (plus 2 vacated wins)
Tournaments8–4 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
2–1 (NCAA D-I playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 GSC (2003, 2006)
1 OVC (2019)
Awards
2× GSC Coach of The Year (2003, 2006)
OVC Coach of The Year (2019)

Mark Douglas Hudspeth (born November 10, 1968) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Gulf Shores High School in Gulf Shores, Alabama, a position he has held since 2021. Hudspeth served as the head football coach at the University of North Alabama from 2002 to 2008, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from 2011 to 2017, and Austin Peay State University in 2019.

Contents

Early life and playing career

Hudspeth grew up in Louisville, Mississippi. [1] Hudspeth was a schoolmate at Winston Academy in Louisville, Mississippi of Andy Kennedy, former head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team and Matthew Mitchell of the Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team. [2] He played college football at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, where he was a four-year letterman. [1]

Coaching career

High school career

Hudspeth was head coach at his alma mater, Winston Academy, from 1996 to 1997. [1] He took Winston Academy from a program that had four wins in the previous two seasons to a 25–1 record in his two seasons and lead the team to the 1997 Mississippi Private School Association Class A state title. [1]

College career

Early college career

Hudspeth began his coaching career at the University of Central Arkansas as a graduate assistant from 1992 to 1993. [2] In 1994, Hudspeth moved to Nicholls State University as wide receivers/tight ends coach and he became running backs coach at Nicholls State in 1995. [3] In 1998, he returned to the University of Central Arkansas as defensive backs coach. [4] From 1999 to 2000, Hudspeth was offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Delta State University. [2] In the 2000 Division II championship game, his offense set title-game records in rushing yards (524), total yards (649) and first downs (36) en route to a 63–34 win. [5] In 2001, Hudspeth moved to the United States Naval Academy as offensive coordinator. [6]

North Alabama

In 2002, Hudspeth was hired for his first head coaching position at the University of North Alabama. [7] He was head coach through the 2008 season and compiled a record of 66 wins and 21 losses. [7]

Mississippi State (1st tenure)

From 2009 to 2010, he was wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator at Mississippi State University. [8]

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

On December 13, 2010, Hudspeth was named the 26th head football coach at Louisiana–Lafayette. [2] In his first season in 2011, he led a team that finished 3–9 the year before to a 9–4 record and an appearance in the New Orleans Bowl – their first bowl berth since 1970. [7]

He added three more 9–4 seasons under his belt, playing in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl defeating East Carolina in 2012, Tulane in 2013 and Nevada in 2014. [7] However, the NCAA forced Hudspeth to vacate 22 wins from 2011 to 2014, including the 2011 and 2013 New Orleans Bowls and 2013 Sun Belt Conference co-championship, due to NCAA violations involving academic fraud and payments to players by an assistant coach. [9] The university relieved Hudspeth of his head coaching duties after the conclusion of the 2017 season. [9]

Mississippi State (2nd tenure)

In 2018, Hudspeth returned to Mississippi State as assistant head coach/tight ends coach. [8]

Austin Peay

In 2019, Hudspeth was hired by Austin Peay State University after Will Healy left to take the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. [10] In his first season as head coach, Hudspeth led Austin Peay to its first 11-win season in program history, its first Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) title in 42 years, and first appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Governors defeated Furman and Sacramento State before falling in the Quarterfinals to Montana State. [11]

On July 3, 2020, Hudspeth resigned, initially saying he was doing so to spend more time with his family. [12] A public records request, however, found that Hudspeth had been suspended by Austin Peay at the time of his resignation for his "recent unacceptable conduct" and for violating terms of his contract involving "egregious personal conduct" and "conduct that is clearly contrary to the character and responsibilities" of the position. [13]

Return to high school coaching

On January 8, 2021, Hudspeth was hired as the head football coach at Gulf Shores High School in Gulf Shores, Alabama. [14]

Personal life

Hudspeth is married to Tyla McConnell and has four sons and one daughter. [2]

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs STATS#Coaches°
North Alabama Lions (Gulf South Conference)(2002–2008)
2002 North Alabama4–73–6T–8th
2003 North Alabama13–19–01stL NCAA Division II Semifinal
2004 North Alabama5–54–5T–6th
2005 North Alabama11–37–2T–2ndL NCAA Division II Semifinal
2006 North Alabama 11–18–01stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
2007 North Alabama 10–27–1T–2ndL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
2008 North Alabama 12–27–12ndL NCAA Division II Semifinal
North Alabama:66–2145–15
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (Sun Belt Conference)(2011–2017)
2011 Louisiana–Lafayette 1–4*1–2*3rd* (vacated)V New Orleans* (vacated)
2012 Louisiana–Lafayette 5–4*4–2*T–2nd* (vacated)W New Orleans
2013 Louisiana–Lafayette 1–4*0–2*T–1st* (vacated)V New Orleans* (vacated)
2014 Louisiana–Lafayette 7–4*5–1*2nd* (vacated)W New Orleans
2015 Louisiana–Lafayette 4–83–5T–5th
2016 Louisiana–Lafayette 6–75–35thL New Orleans
2017 Louisiana 5–74–4T–5th
Louisiana–Lafayette/Louisiana:29–38*22–19*
Austin Peay Governors (Ohio Valley Conference)(2019)
2019 Austin Peay 11–47–1T–1stL NCAA Division I Quarterfinal 810
Austin Peay:11–47–1
Total:106–63*
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

* Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 22 wins from 2011 to 2014, including the 2011 and 2013 New Orleans Bowls and 2013 Sun Belt Conference co-championship, due to NCAA violations involving a former assistant. [15] [16] Without the vacated wins, Louisiana went 9–4 in each season between 2011 and 2014.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Bowl</span>

The New Orleans Bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 2001. It is normally held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans; when the Superdome and the rest of the city suffered damage due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the game was temporarily moved to Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana, and given the name New Orleans Bowl at Lafayette. Since 2006, the bowl has been sponsored by R+L Carriers and officially known as the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The game was previously sponsored by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from 2002 to 2004 and was officially called the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns</span> University of Louisiana athletic teams

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The college has been competing athletically since 1901. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams.

Michael John Desormeaux is an American gridiron football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a position he has held since the final game of the 2021 season. He previously served in various assistant coaching roles at Louisiana from 2016 to 2021, most recently as the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team</span> American college football season

The 2011 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by first year head coach Mark Hudspeth and played their home games at Cajun Field. They are members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 9–4 overall and 6–2 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place. They were invited to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first bowl game, where they defeated San Diego State. However, in 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette vacated eight wins including their New Orleans Bowl victory due to major NCAA violations.

The Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM).

Will Hall is an American football coach and former player. He is the head coach of The University of Southern Mississippi. Hall served as the head football coach at the University of West Alabama from 2011 to 2013 and at the University of West Georgia 2014 to 2016. He also served as offensive coordinator for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2017. He grew up in Mississippi and attended the University of North Alabama where he played quarterback from 2002 to 2003. He won the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2003. He began his coaching career in 2004 and held assistant coaching positions at Presbyterian, Henderson State, Southwest Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello and West Alabama.

The Battle on the Bayou is the name given to the college football rivalry between the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and the Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks.

The 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Mark Hudspeth and played their home games at Cajun Field. They were a member of the Sun Belt Conference. However, in 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette vacated four wins due to major NCAA violations.

Timothy J. Rebowe is an American football coach. He is head football coach at Nicholls State University, a position he has held since the 2015 season.

The 2013 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Mark Hudspeth and played their home games at Cajun Field. They finished the season 9–4 overall and 5–2 in Sun Belt play to claim a share of the conference title with Arkansas State. Louisiana–Lafayette was invited to the New Orleans Bowl for the third consecutive year, where they defeated Tulane. However, in 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette vacated eight wins including their New Orleans Bowl victory and Sun Belt Conference co-championship due to alleged major NCAA violations.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Since 1971, the team has played its home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana. Michael Desormeaux has served as Louisiana's head coach since 2021.

The 2014 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Mark Hudspeth. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 9–4 overall and 7–1 in Sun Belt play to finish in second place. They were invited to the New Orleans Bowl, for the fourth consecutive year, where they defeated Nevada. However, in 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette vacated two wins due to major NCAA violations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Mark Hudspeth and played their home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana. The Ragin' Cajuns were members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 3–5 in Sun Belt play to finish in a five way tie for fifth place.

The 2017 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana, and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by seventh-year head coach Mark Hudspeth. They finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Napier</span> American football coach (born 1979)

William Hall Napier is an American football coach currently serving as head coach at the University of Florida. From 2017 until 2021, he served as head coach at the University of Louisiana, amassing a 40–12 record in four seasons with three consecutive 10+ win seasons and two seasons finishing in the AP Poll, both firsts in the programs' history. Prior to Louisiana, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University in 2017.

The 2018 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana and competed in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Billy Napier. They finished the season 7–7, 5–3 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for the West Division championship with Arkansas State. Due to their head-to-head win over Arkansas State, they represented the West Division in the inaugural Sun Belt Championship Game where they lost to East Division champion Appalachian State. They were invited to the Cure Bowl where they lost to Tulane.

The 2020 LendingTree Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 6, 2020, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 21st edition of the LendingTree Bowl, and was the last of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season, with only the National Championship and all-star games to follow. The game's title sponsor was online lending marketplace LendingTree.

The 2019 Austin Peay Governors football team represents Austin Peay State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Governors, led by first-year head coach Mark Hudspeth, play their home games at Fortera Stadium as members of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Shaun Marquase Lovings is an American football coach. He is the running backs coach for the Arkansas State Red Wolves football team. He previously coached for Dunbar High School, P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School, Mississippi State, Louisiana–Lafayette / Louisiana, Nicholls State, and Austin Peay. He played college football as a walk-on tight end for Howard.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Eight Named To 2019-20 Delta State Athletics Hall of Fame Class". gostatesmen.com. November 4, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mark Hudspeth Louisiana Bio". RaginCajuns.com. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  3. ↑ "All-Time Assistants" (PDF). geauxcolonels.com. p. 39. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Carley Hudspeth First To Join Sugar Bears In Early Signing Period". ucasports.com. November 8, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Luke (September 24, 2015). "Striving for more, Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth driven by never-ending worry". Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Comments From Navy Offensive Coordinator Mark Hudspeth". navysports.com. August 8, 2001. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Louisiana-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth receives 6-year extension". si.com. June 13, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Mark Hudspeth". hailstate.com. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Amid report of new job, Hudspeth 'agreed' with firing". Daily Advertiser. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Austin Peay introduces new coach Mark Hudspeth, former tight ends coach at Mississippi State". usatoday.com. December 11, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Austin Peay extends coach Hudspeth's contract through 2024". apnews.com. December 23, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  12. ↑ Bush, Cody (July 3, 2020). "Mark Hudspeth steps down as Austin Peay head football coach". LetsGoPeay.com. Austin Peay State University. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Mark Hudspeth was suspended for 'unacceptable conduct' before he resigned as APSU football coach".
  14. ↑ "How did former college coach Mark Hudspeth land at Gulf Shores?". January 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ Johnson, Luke (October 11, 2015). "Exam fraud, recruit payments among NCAA accusations against ex-Cajuns assistant". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  16. ↑ Buckley, Tim (March 8, 2016). "Here's what games UL has vacated following NCAA probe". The Daily Advertiser. Lafayette, Louisiana. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.