Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys

Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys
University Arkansas Tech
Conference Great American Conference 2011-present
Gulf South Conference 1995-2011
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference 1927-1995
NCAA Division II
Athletic director Steve Mullins
Location Russellville, AR
Varsity teams 4
Football stadium Buerkle Field
Basketball arena Tucker Coliseum
Baseball stadium Tech Field
Nickname Wonder Boys
Colors
     Green       Gold
Website www.arkansastechsports.com

The men's teams at Arkansas Tech University are known as the Wonder Boys. They are a charter member of the Great American Conference of the NCAA Division II.

Football

Originally the Second District Agricultural School, Arkansas Tech has made five appearances in football national playoffs (1971, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009). The 1971 Wonder Boys made it to the national championship game of the NAIA playoffs, losing to Livingston State (now University of West Alabama) in the title game, 14-12, played in Birmingham, AL. In 1994, Tech lost in the first round of the NAIA playoffs to Langston (OK), 56-42, after capturing the final Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) football crown earlier that season. Firman W. Bynum, long-time Dean of Men at Tech, was the school's first All-American football player in 1939.

Tech won AIC football championships in 1931, 1935, 1939, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1994.

Arkansas Tech left the NAIA after the AIC disbanded following the 1994-95 academic year. Tech joined NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference at that time. Since then, Tech's football program has made appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 1999, 2004 and 2009. The 1999 team was the first from Arkansas to win the GSC football championship outright, while the 2004 Wonder Boys were the first team from Arkansas to host or win an NCAA Division II Playoffs game. Tech earned that honor by defeating Catawba College (N.C.) 24-20 on November 13, 2004. The Wonder Boys returned to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2009 and defeated the University of North Carolina at Pembroke 41-13 in the first round before falling to University of North Alabama 41-28 in the region semifinals.

Steve Mullins served as head football coach at Arkansas Tech from 1997 through 2012. Raymond Monica became head football for 2013 season. Mullins holds the school record for most wins as the Tech head football coach (96). Mullins has also served as athletic director since April 16, 2003.

Coach Year Overall Conference All-Americans
W.A. Isgrig 1911 4-4 0-0
Totals 4-4 (.500) 0-0 (.000)
E.H. Shinn 1912 4-2 0-0
1913 7-2-1 0-0
1914 8-0 0-0
1915 5-3 0-0
Totals 24-7-1 (.766) 0-0 (.000)
W.B. Casey 1916 1-0 0-0
1917 0-1 0-0
Totals 1-1 (.500) 0-0 (.000)
1918 No Team
W.K. McWilliams 1919 2-2-1 0-0
Totals 2-2-1 (.500) 0-0 (.000)
E.O. Brown 1920 4-0-2 0-0
1921 7-0 0-0
1922 8-1 0-0
1923 6-1-2 0-0
1924 6-1-2 0-0
1925 7-2 0-0
1926 6-2 0-0
1927 5-3-1 0-0
1928 7-2 0-0
1929 4-4-1 2-2-1
1930 4-2-2 3-1-2
1931 7-1-2 *5-0-2
1932 6-2-1 5-2-1
Totals 77-22-13 (.746) 15-5-6 (.692)
John Tucker 1933 3-3-1 2-2-1
1934 5-1-2 4-1-2
1935 8-0-1 *6-0-1
1936 6-2 5-1
1937 8-1 3-1
1938 4-2-2 2-2
1939 7-0-2 *2-0-2 Firman Bynum (Tackle)
1940 5-3-1 1-2-1
1941 6-3 3-3
1942–1944 No Team
1945 8-0 *6-0
1946 9-1 *6-0
1947 8-1 *6-0
Totals 77-17-9 (.791) 46-13-7 (.750)
Raymond Burnett 1948 8-2 *7-1
1949 9-1-1 *8-0
1950 7-3 4-3
1951 3-6 2-5
1952 1-7 1-4
1953 3-5-1 1-3-1
Totals 31-24-4 (.561) 23-16-1 (.587)
Sam Hindsman 1954 8-1 *6-1 Don Dempsey (Center/Linebacker)
1955 5-3-2 5-1-1
1956 5-5 0-0
1957 6-4 0-0
1958 7-3 *7-3 Eddie Meador (Running Back)
Totals 31-16-2 (.653) 17-3-1 (.833)
Marvin Salmon 1959 5-3 4-3
1960 10-1 *8-0 Roger Lee (Defensive Back)
Powell McClellan (Defensive End)
1961 8-0-1 *6-0-1 Powell McClellan (Defensive End)
1962 8-1-1 6-1
1963 3-5-2 3-3-1
1964 9-1 *7-0 Danny Gilbert (Tackle)
1965 7-3 5-2 Danny Gilbert (Tackle)
1966 3-6-1 2-4
Totals 53-20-5 (.712) 41-13-2 (.750)
Don Dempsey 1967 5-3-1 2-3-1
1968 10-2 *5-1
1969 6-4-1 4-1-1
1970 8-3 *5-1 Joe Hoing (Offensive Guard)
1971 &12-1 *6-0 Rick Thone (Offensive End)
1972 5-4-1 4-2 Perry Goodell (Defensive Guard)
1973 4-7 2-4
1974 1-9 0-6
1975 3-8 1-5
Totals 54-41-3 (.566) 29-23-2 (.555)
Leon Anderson 1976 1-10 0-6
1977 6-4 3-3
1978 5-5 2-4
1979 3-6-1 3-2-1 Kelly Davis (Place Kicker)
Totals 15-25-1 (.378) 8-15-1 (.354)
Harold Steelman 1980 6-4 4-2
1981 4-5-1 2-4
1982 3-7 2-4
1983 4-5-1 4-1-1
1984 4-5 3-3
1985 1-9 1-6 Bruce Livingston (Defensive Back)
Totals 22-35-2 (.389) 16-20-1 (.445)
Ken Stephens 1986 6-4 5-2 Bruce Livingston (Defensive Back)
Kevin Johnson (Offensive Lineman)
1987 2-6-1 1-4-1 Chad Walker (Defensive End)
1988 6-4 3-3
1989 6-3 3-3 Noel Tugwell (Offensive Lineman)
1990 4-6 0-6
1991 0-10 0-6
1992 4-5-1 2-4
Totals 28-38-2 (.425) 14-28-1 (.337)
Brooks Hollingsworth 1993 1-9 1-3
1994 #7-4 *4-0 Demond Sampson (Defensive Back)
1995 3-6-1 2-6-1 Piotr Styczen (Place Kicker)
1996 5-6 3-5 Piotr Styczen (Place Kicker)
Totals 16-25-1 (.393) 10-14-1 (.420)
Steve Mullins 1997 4-7 4-4
1998 5-5 4-5
1999 #9-3 *8-1 Todd Mathews (Offensive Lineman)
Ed Duncan (Running Back)
Stuart Cash (Return Specialist)
2000 7-3 7-2 Paul Peletz (Place Kicker)
Patrick Pesnell (Defensive Back)
2001 8-2 7-2
2002 4-7 3-6 Tommy Edwards (Defensive End)
2003 5-6 4-5 Tommy Edwards (Defensive End)
2004 #10-2 8-1 Cedric Cursh (Defensive End)
Jonathan Hayes (Offensive Lineman)
Josh Rogers (Tight End)
2005 7-3 6-3 Chris Johnson (Full Back)
2006 7-3 5-3 Quincy Skinner (Defensive Back)
2007 5-5 3-5 Michael Podobnik (Punter)
2008 5-5 4-4 Torrence Wright (Offensive Lineman)
2009 #9-3 6-2 Nick Graziano (Quarterback)
Frantz Simeon (Receiver)
Torrence Wright (Offensive Lineman)
2010 4-7 2-6
2011 2-8 1-4
Totals 91-69 (.569) 71-53 (.573)
& National Runner-Up
# National Tournament
* Conference Champion

Basketball

Tech's greatest men's basketball success came under the guidance of head coach Sam Hindsman, who led the Wonder Boys from 1947-66. Hindsman, who also won two AIC football titles at Tech during the 1950s, was ahead of his time with an up-tempo style that dazzled fans and opponents. Hindsman and the Wonder Boys won seven consecutive AIC basketball titles from 1949-55. In 1954 and 1955, Tech reached the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament. Tech's only other NAIA Final Four berth in men's basketball came in 1995.

In all, Hindsman won 11 conference men's basketball titles and 355 men's basketball games to set school records that are unlikely to ever be eclipsed.

Tech returned to men's basketball prominence for the first time in more than a decade during the 2008-09 season. The Wonder Boys finished 23-9 overall, won their first-ever Gulf South Conference men's basketball title and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament in men's basketball for the first time ever. The Wonder Boys defeated Benedict College 63-62 in their first-ever NCAA Tournament game on March 14, 2009. Florida Southern ended Tech's season 95-92 in overtime the following evening.

The Wonder Boys won their second consecutive GSC Tournament title in 2010 and they returned to the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament in both 2010 and 2011, reaching the regional semifinals on both occasions.

Coach Year Overall Conference All-Americans
R.K. Lindberg 1914-15 4-3 0-0
Totals 4-3 (.571) 0-0 (.000)
Bill Cowan 1922-23 7-1 (.875) 0-0 (.000)
Totals 7-1 (.875) 0-0 (.000)
E.O. Brown 1923-24 5-2 0-0
1924-25 4-8 0-0
1925-26 1-5 0-0
1926-27 7-8 0-0
1927-28 7-5 4-5
1928-29 8-8 5-7
1929-30 10-3 8-3
1930-31 11-4 7-4
1931-32 9-7 3-5
1932-33 1-4 1-4
Totals 63-54 (.538) 28-28 (.500)
Truman McEver 1933-34 6-6 1-5
1934-35 5-13 3-9
Totals 11-19 (.367) 4-14 (.222)
Henry Hudson 1935-36 6-6 2-6
1936-37 6-8 1-8
1937-38 9-5 5-3
1938-39 5-9 3-8
1939-40 4-16 3-13
Totals 30-44 (.405) 14-38 (.269)
Howard Godfrey 1940-41 5-11 5-11
Totals 5-11 (.455) 5-11 (.455)
Raymond Burnett 1941-42 7-14 0-0
Totals 7-14 (.333) 0-0 (.000)
John Tucker 1944-45 14-8 13-3
1945-46 14-5 8-3
Totals 28-13 (.638) 21-6 (.778)
Homer Spragins 1946-47 12-11 6-7
Totals 12-11 (.522) 6-7 (.462)
Sam Hindsman 1947-48 12-8 9-7
1948-49 17-4 *13-3
1949-50 #25-2 *18-0
1950-51 #24-7 *16-2
1951-52 #25-4 *17-1
1952-53 #24-1 *16-0 E.C. O'Neal (Post)
1953-54 %28-3 *16-0 E.C. O'Neal (Post)
1954-55 %29-6 *16-0 Donovan Horn (Guard)
1955-56 #15-9 11-5
1956-57 13-13 0-0
1957-58 20-5 *10-0 Ronnie Kennett (Guard)
1958-59 13-11 0-0
1959-60 19-6 *14-4
1960-61 21-3 *16-2 J.P. Lovelady (Forward)
1961-62 20-7 *14-4 Kenny Saylors (Forward)
1962-63 #19-9 11-7 Kenny Saylors (Forward)
1963-64 17-10 13-5
1964-65 6-19 5-13
1965-66 8-19 4-14
Totals 355-146 (.709) 219-67 (.766)
Deward Dopson 1966-67 12-14 8-10
1967-68 14-13 11-7
1968-69 19-9 13-5
1969-70 #22-10 15-3
1970-71 20-5 16-4
1971-72 12-16 12-8 Terry Hankton (Forward)
1972-73 4-22 2-16
Totals 103-89 (.536) 77-53 (.592)
Ted Lyons 1973-74 8-20 3-15
1974-75 8-17 4-14
1975-76 4-20 1-17
Totals 20-57 (.260) 8-46 (.148)
George Jones 1976-77 11-17 8-10
1977-78 7-16 5-13
1978-79 7-21 4-14
1979-80 13-14 7-11
1980-81 12-15 8-10
Totals 50-83 (.376) 35-58 (.356)
Danny Ebbs 1981-82 15-14 9-9 Joe Bob Wise (Forward)
1982-83 13-14 9-9
1983-84 1-5 0-0
Totals 29-33 (.468) 18-18 (.500)
Wesley White 1983-84 9-12 7-11
Totals 9-12 (.429) 7-11 (.389)
John Widner 1984-85 22-8 *12-6
1985-86 9-17 6-14
1986-87 12-14 8-12
Totals 43-39 (.524) 26-32 (.448)
Marty Barnes 1987-88 22-11 *14-4
1988-89 20-12 12-6 Alan Cozart (Forward)
1989-90 24-9 14-4
1990-91 16-15 8-10 Maxie Mathis (Post)
1991-92 20-12 11-7 Maxie Mathis (Post)
1992-93 23-10 *12-4 Maxie Mathis (Post)
Eric Burnett (Forward)‡
1993-94 26-8 *13-1 Thayer McKinley (Forward)‡
David Bevis (Post)‡
1994-95 %29-6 *14-2 David Bevis (Post)
Chad Keaster (Guard)‡
1995-96 #19-10 7-5 Bryan Hodges (Forward)‡
1996-97 14-13 8-4 Bryan Hodges (Forward)‡
1997-98 9-17 6-6
1998-99 9-17 5-7
Totals 231-140 (.623) 124-60 (.674)
Robert Thompson 1999-00 16-10 8-4
2000-01 4-22 2-14
2001-02 12-14 8-8
2002-03 11-16 4-12
Totals 43-62 (.409) 22-38 (.367)
Rick McCormick 2003-04 7-20 4-12
2004-05 10-17 3-13
2005-06 11-16 2-14
Totals 28-53 (.346) 9-39 (.188)
Mark Downey 2006-07 6-21 1-13
2007-08 18-11 8-6
2008-09 #23-9 *9-5
2009-10 #30-2 *13-1 Brandon Friedel (Guard)‡
Totals 77-43 (.642) 31-25 (.554)
Doug Karleskint 2010-11 #25-6 *13-1
2011-12 #26-6 *13-3
Totals 51-12 (.810) 26-4 (.867)
% National Tournament Final Four
# National Tournament
* Conference Champion
‡ Honorable Mention All-American

Baseball

Tech won AIC baseball titles in 1950, 1964, 1976, 1981, 1985, 1988 and 1992. The Wonder Boys captured a share of the GSC West Division baseball crown in 1998.

Coach Year Overall Conference All-Americans
W.A. Isgrig 1912 5-8-1 0-0
Totals 5-8-1 (.393) 0-0 (.000)
E.H. Shinn 1913 10-4 0-0
1914 5-9 0-0
1915 3-2 0-0
Totals 18-15 (.545) 0-0 (.000)
1916–1922 No Team
E.O. Brown 1923 1-4 0-0
Totals 1-4 (.200) 0-0 (.000)
1924–1939 No Team
John Tucker 1940 2-3 0-0
Totals 2-3 (.400) 0-0 (.000)
1941–1947 No Team
Raymond Burnett 1948 10-3 6-2
1949 9-3 8-2
1950 13-4 *8-1
1951 11-3 10-2
Totals 43-13 (.768) 32-7 (.821)
1952 No Team
Sam Hindsman 1953 2-10 2-8
1954 7-9 5-7
1955 10-6 7-5
1956 5-11 5-7
Totals 24-36 (.400) 19-27 (.413)
Raymond Burtner 1957 4-4 0-2
1958 8-4 8-4
Totals 12-8 (.600) 8-6 (.571)
Don Dempsey 1959 3-9 3-9
1960 2-6-1 2-6-1
1961 10-10 5-5
1962 14-6 7-3
1963 10-11 6-6
1964 14-7 *8-4
1965 12-10 6-6
1966 11-9 7-5
1967 3-15 1-9
1968 7-10-2 5-7
1969 13-8 6-6
1970 8-11 6-4
Totals 107-112-3 (.489) 62-70-1 (.470)
Doyle Wallace 1971 16-15 8-8
Totals 16-15 (.516) 8-8 (.500)
Ted Lyons 1972 7-14 6-10
1973 11-13-1 5-8-1
1974 12-13 8-8
Totals 30-40-1 (.430) 19-26-1 (.424)
Rick Thone 1975 7-13 5-11
Totals 7-13 (.350) 5-11 (.313)
Robert Pledger 1976 22-14 *11-3 Tommy Hester (Outfield)
1977 13-12 8-6
1978 10-10 6-8
Totals 45-36 (.556) 25-17 (.595)
Robert Campbell 1979 17-17 9-5
1980 16-14 8-6
Totals 33-31 (.517) 17-11 (.607)
Jim Franks 1981 21-11 *11-3
1982 25-15 9-5
1983 16-12 7-7
1984 24-18 9-5
1985 26-16 *16-4
1986 19-17 11-9
1987 23-13 17-11
Totals 154-102 (.602) 80-44 (.645)
Dale Harpenau 1988 29-17 *18-6
1989 17-24 8-16
1990 22-16-1 14-10
1991 30-17 16-8
1992 25-16 *17-7
1993 26-17 11-11
1994 34-14-1 20-4
1995 33-18 20-6
1996 26-19 7-10
1997 30-11-1 10-6
1998 30-16-1 *12-5
Totals 302-185-4 (.619) 153-89 (.632)
Billy Goss 1999 22-21 11-6
2000 22-22 7-11
2001 32-20 14-9 John Paul Davis (First Base)
2002 16-31 7-16
2003 29-24 18-14
2004 31-23 13-10
2005 28-22 17-7
2006 19-29 6-17
2007 22-32-1 10-10
2008 22-23 9-11
2009 22-30 9-12
Totals 265-277-1 (.489) 121-123 (.496)
Dave Dawson 2010 35-19 14-6
2011 32-19 13-6 Matt Johnson (Outfield)
2012 26-27 13-11
Totals 93-65 (.589) 40-23 (.635)
* Conference Champion

Golf

Arkansas Tech's men's golf team was AIC champions in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Tech became the first school from Arkansas to win the GSC Championship in men's golf in 2004. The 1998 Wonder Boys reached the NCAA Division II National Tournament for men's golf. Tech made its sixth men's golf NCAA Division II Regional Tournament appearance and finished as GSC Tournament runner-up in 2009.

Year Conference Finish All-Americans
1964 5th
1965 7th
1966 1st
1967 1st
1968 1st
1969 1st
1970 #1st
1971 6th
1972 5th
1973 3rd
1974 4th
1975 8th
1976 8th
1977 7th
1978 6th
1979 5th
1980 6th
1981 9th
1982 6th
1983 2nd
1984 1st
1985 3rd
1986 3rd
1987 3rd
1988 2nd
1989 2nd
1990 2nd
1991 2nd
1992 1st
1993 #1st David Dyer
1994 #1st
1995 #1st
1996 T-3rd
1997 T-5th
1998 #3rd
1999 4th
2000 5th
2001 #2nd Jeff Jenkins
2002 #5th
2003 #4th
2004 #1st Nick Quast
2005 4th Nick Quast
2006 6th
2007 3rd
2008 5th
2009 #2nd
2010 4th
2011 8th
2012 2nd
# National Tournament

References

  1. http://athletics.atu.edu/atuhistory.htm

External links