MONTICELLO – University of Arkansas at Monticello chancellor Dr. Peggy Doss announced Thursday the appointment of head football coach William “Hud” Jackson as the institution’s interim athletic director. Jackson’s appointment is effective immediately, according to the email announcement sent to employees and students. The previous director of athletics, Padraic McMeel, left UAM to accept a similar role at Black Hills State University in June. The announcement said the search to fill the AD role has been temporarily suspended but will resume near the start of the next calendar year.

Jackson became the university’s 25th head football coach in 2011. Typical team rosters at UAM range from 100 to 130 student-athletes, on average, making football the largest team on campus. In his decade at the helm of the football program, he has mentored seven All-American honorees, nine All-Region selections, and 40 All-GAC athletes. Several of Jackson’s former players have gone on to play for the NFL, AFL, and CFL. UAM’s invitation to the Corsicana Bowl in 2018 took the Weevils to their first bowl game in 25 years. In the last traditional season (Fall 2019), Jackson’s Weevils set a 4-1 record at home in Cotton Boll Stadium and earned seven Great American Conference (GAC) student-athlete honors, the most for the institution since the conference was created. Currently, Jackson’s 34 wins with UAM mean he holds the second-most football victories in the university’s coaching history.

In a 2019 press conference announcing an extension of Jackson’s coaching contract, his time spent off the field with student-athletes was cited as just as important as garnering wins. When it comes to player recruitment, Jackson prides himself in sourcing regional talent from Arkansas and bordering states as much as possible, and he says a top concern, right along with assessing athletic skill, is the character and dedication of prospective student-athletes.

“When I came in, I knew we needed to prioritize building up and attracting students who are strong athletes, strong people, and strong representatives of our university,” Jackson said. “I think we have made a lot of progress in that area, and we want to continue making that a focus.” When Jackson was announced as the head coach in late 2010, members of the football team had a 19% four-year graduation rate, and now, that rate has increased to 87% at the open-enrollment university.

“Coach Jackson has always demonstrated a commitment to academic success and to engaging student-athletes in campus life.” Chancellor Doss said. “He and his staff play an important role in student achievement and retention. He also knows how to provide and advocate for our students through public outreach and creating strategic partnerships. He is a wonderful representative of our university, active in the community, and is a valued member of our staff. I am pleased to have him serve in this pivotal role during this athletic department leadership transition.”

Dr. Doss said some of his primary duties while serving as interim AD will involve hiring vital staff members in the athletic department, working closely with campus leadership in setting university strategies, and fundraising. “Coach Jackson will be getting us ready for a new academic year and a return to normal athletic events. This is an exciting time for our teams, fans, and university community,” said Doss.

In his decade at UAM, Jackson has served as a mentor to capable program staff, some of whom have gone on to serve as head coaches themselves. Jackson said, “The success of any program is absolutely about who you surround yourself with – that means getting the right student-athletes here as well as finding the best professional team to support them. Without the support of this entire coaching staff, our program wouldn’t be in the place it is today. I have had, and still have, excellent associate and assistant coaches who have made me a better coach- who have made this a better program by bringing their own ideas to the table. My coaching staff is the reason I can take on the interim AD role – I know they’ll make this as smooth a season as possible, and I can’t say enough about what their help means to me and to the athletic department.” Jackson says he will retain some of his typical head coaching duties while assuming the interim responsibilities of athletic director, and that football staff members’ roles may change for the length of that period. He will work closely with the university’s executive leadership team during his appointment as the interim head of athletics.

“I am so appreciative of Dr. Doss for asking me to take on this role, and of course I want to thank my wife Patricia for her support as I take on additional work,” Jackson said. “Monticello and UAM are home for me and my family, and I am honored to serve here. I am excited about my involvement in the athletic department and football program as we continue building on our successes and looking to the future.”

Prior to joining UAM, Jackson spent six seasons at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) as associate head football coach and director of football operations. The Thibodaux, La. native was an all-state high school baseball athlete who went on to letter in baseball at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. In addition to earning MVP and outstanding pitcher awards, Jackson would also start for three years as quarterback for the McNeese State football team. He would go on to coach baseball, football, and serve as athletic director for four Louisiana high school programs before joining the UCA coaching staff.

Founded in 1909 as an agricultural institution, UAM has evolved to meet the growing higher education needs of the residents of Arkansas and the nation. The residential Monticello campus offers more than 80 undergraduate academic tracks and graduate programs, while Colleges of Technology in nearby Crossett McGehee offer technical programs to the region. Additional course and degree offerings are available entirely online. Home to ten NCAA Division II athletic teams, UAM is a member of the Great American Conference. For more information, visit UAMSports.com and follow @UAMSports on social media.

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MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello women’s basketball team picked up its first victory of the 2021 season on Saturday after toppling Harding University 76-71 at Steelman Field House. The Blossom lit up from downtown shooting 44 percent on 11-of-16 from beyond the arc to bring home the first win for head coach Markell Cox at UAM.

An opportunistic first half by the UAM defense aided the Blossoms in holding a double digit lead at the half. The Blossoms capitalized on 11 Harding turnovers for 14 points in the opening 20 minutes of the contest.

The Bisons turned the tables in the third quarter by taking advantage of seven turnovers by UAM and shooting 66.7 percent from the field to make it a tight ballgame heading into the fourth.

In the final 10 minutes of the game, the Blossom tightened the screws on defense again holding Harding to just 13 points in the quarter on 27.3 percent shooting.

Mackenzie Tillman matched the Bisons in the final quarter scoring 13 of her 22 points on the day going 4-of-4 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.

With under two minutes to play Harding made a run to cut the UAM lead down 72-71, but the Blossoms iced the game by stepping up on the defensive end and knocking down all four from the charity stripe to hold on for the 76-71 win.

Tillman led all scorers on the day with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from three point range. Kayla Bradley, Nina Kizzee and Dezirae King also finished with double digit scoring efforts of their own.

Bradley tallied four assists and three steals in the contest. She was matched by Kizzee and Jaida Muhammad with six rebounds each.

UAM will travel to Southern Arkansas on Monday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center. You can watch the Blossoms take on the SAU Youtube channel – Mulerider Athletics.

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MONTICELLO, Ark. – Arkansas Tech head women’s basketball coach Dave Wilbers added a new milestone to his illustrious career on Thursday night as his Golden Suns cruised past Arkansas-Monticello by a score of 63-30. The win for Wilbers was the 300^th of his career as a head coach, all with Tech.

Not unlike many of the previous 299 victories under Wilbers’ watch, the win on Thursday night did not feature a whole lot of drama as the Golden Suns (2-0, 1-0 GAC) led from wire-to-wire against the Cotton Blossoms (0-1, 0-1 GAC).

After sophomore Kaley Shipman scored the game’s first points at the 7:46 mark of the first quarter, the Golden Suns went on a 7-0 run over the next minute and a half to gain control of the game. The Cotton Blossoms finally cracked the scoreboard on a pair of free throws just under the six-minute mark, but a stifling defense by the Golden Suns held UAM to just eight points on 2-of-16 shooting in the opening quarter.

It was much of the same the remainder of the game as the Golden Suns held UAM to a mere 30 points on 17% shooting (11-of-64) overall for the game.

On their end of the court, the Golden Suns shot a steady 41% from the field for the game making 25-of-61 shots. Only one of those made field goals was a three-pointer, but the Golden Suns only attempted eight for the game. As a result, a majority of their points came inside the paint as they totaled 44 in the lane.

Individually, the Golden Suns had three players score in double figures and were led by Ashlei Lopez with 16. Shipman was next in scoring with 15 and Jayana Sanders, who recently became the 29^th Golden Sun all-time to eclipse 1,000 career points, rounded out double figure scoring with 13.

The Golden Suns will now turn their attention to Saturday afternoon as they return home to Tucker Coliseum to take on Henderson State. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Per GAC Return To Play Protocols, fan attendance will not be permitted. Live video will be provided for free through the Arkansas Tech Sports Network.

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RUSSELLVILLE – The University of Arkansas at Monticello volleyball team fell behind 2-0 at Arkansas Tech University on Friday, but were able to mount a comeback and defeat the Golden Suns, 3-2. UAM improved to 2-0 against ATU this season; the first time it’s beaten ATU twice in one year since 2009.

Things looked bleak early on for the Blossoms as Arkansas Tech came out firing winning the first two sets, 25-16, and 25-20.

In set three, the Blossoms were behind 18-17, and it looked as if Tech was going to win it in straight sets, but UAM then went on a big run, which was sparked by several ATU mistakes. The Blossoms got five points on attack errors highlighted by a pair of blocks from Katie Pearson, Zealia Kleitz and MarKayla Dickie. UAM took a 24-19 lead and eventually won the set, 25-19 on another attack error by the Suns.

UAM carried its momentum into the fourth set taking an early lead, 7-4. ATU would fight back to take a lead of its own a few points later, 11-10, but the Blossoms would go on a run to take a 19-14 lead. Taylor Calhoun and Leslie Polanco put the finishing touches on the run with a pair of kills. Tech did cut the deficit to two points, but the Blossoms answered back with four points to go ahead, 23-17, and went on to win the set, 25-18.

With the match all tied up, 2-2, UAM went into the fifth set and took big lead early, 9-3; much in part to Jessica Mahan who had a pair of service aces to gain some momentum. Arkansas Tech would make it a battle though, coming within striking distance and eventually tying the set, 13-13. To close out the match, ATU lost a point on a service error, and Kleitz put some emphasis on the final point with a big-time solo block to secure the win.

Polanco led all attackers with 16 kills. She also added three service aces and an assisted block.

Halli Lambert also was solid on the day, totaling 13 kills and recording three digs.

Pearson aided on the offense totaling 38 assists.

UAM’s big statistic on the day turned out to be the blocks totaling 18.0. Dickie had seven, Calhoun totaled five, Kleitz managed four, while Pearson and Polanco registered one apiece.

Along with Polanco, Mahan also recorded three service aces, and led the team in digs at 27.

With the win, UAM improves to 10-15 overall and 5-7 in conference games. The Blossoms are currently riding a three-game win streak and are one game back from eighth place in the Great American Conference Standings.

UAM returns home for a matchup with Southern Arkansas University at Steelman Field House on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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MONTICELLO – Padraic McMeel, Director of Athletics, has announced the hiring of new head women’s basketball coach, Greg Long.

Coach Long comes to UAM from the University of Central Arkansas where he was the Associate Head Coach.

“I am truly excited to have Greg, his wife Jill and their daughter Aubree join the UAM Athletics Family,” McMeel said. “Greg brings a tremendous wealth of recruiting experience and teaching to this position and is extremely familiar with Southeastern Arkansas.  His personality, drive, and passion for developing young women not only on the court but in the classroom and in life were evident in each of our conversations.

“We talk about #WinnersWin, to win in everything we do and Greg has had success in each of his previous coaching stops.  I know Greg will continue to build on the foundation set forth by Coach Ray as well as the tremendous history of Cotton Blossoms basketball.”

In his time at Central Arkansas, the Sugar Bears won at an unprecedented clip. During his four seasons with the program’s first two NCAA Tournament berths and Southland Conference Tournament championships, along with a Southland regular-season championship and the program’s first national postseason tournament victories as the Sugar Bears advanced to the championship game of the 2018 WBI.

Following a 54-9 mark with the back-to-back titles in his first two seasons, Long was promoted to Associate Head Coach following the 2016-17 season.

In his three seasons in Conway, the Sugar Bears have finished each regular season in the national Top 10 in scoring defense – ranking 9th in 2016, 4th in 2017 and finished the year ranked 2nd in 2018 with a Southland Conference record 50.9 points per game allowed.

Before his time at UCA, Long was at Delta State as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator. During his time at DSU, the Lady Statesmen were ranked No. 1 in the nation, made back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, won consecutive conference championships, and had a .820 winning percentage. He helped to develop three All-Americans, seven all-region players, seven all-conference players, and the Preseason National Player of the Year in NCAA Division II.

Prior to his time at Delta State, Long was a successful high school coach in his hometown of Ocala, Fla. – first as an assistant coach for the boys team at Ocala Forest High, where he helped guide the team to their first winning season in more than a decade; then as a head coach at Trinity Catholic. At Trinity Catholic, his teams improved from 8 to 22 wins from his first to the second season, winning a district title en route to a Sweet 16 showing in the state tournament an a Top 15 ranking in state media polls.

He played collegiately at Chowan College under head coach Bob Burke, who retired as the third-winningest coach in North Carolina collegiate history behind Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski and was an associate head coach at Hawaii and an assistant for the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers. Long played high school basketball at Vanguard HS under legendary Florida high school coach Jim Haley, who compiled 655 wins and three state championships. In 1997, Long played on Haley’s final team to be ranked No. 1 in the state and made a run to the Elite 8 en route to a 21-11 record for the season.

Long is married to the former Jill Trimmer of Marietta, Ga. They have one daughter, Aubree.

“The University of Arkansas at Monticello has a rich basketball tradition and I am excited for the opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program,” Long said. “My family and I are thrilled to be a part of the Monticello family and community.  I believe our brand of basketball will be fun to watch and our players will be great representatives for the community.  I want the thank Chancellor Karla Hughes and Padraic McMeel for the chance to leave my mark here at UAM.”

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.– A woman has been taken into custody by the Special Agents of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division involving the hit-and-run on Saturday.

Katley Amanda Johnson, 24, of Star City, has been arrested and is charged in connection with a motor vehicle hit and run incident at Monticello Saturday night that left Southeastern’s Joseph Cerda critically injured, according to a report from the Arkansas State Police.

Johnson has been formally charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injury or death (Class D felony), tampering with physical evidence (Class D felony) and obstructing governmental operations (Class C misdemeanor).  She was booked into the Drew County Detention Center about 4:30 PM on Tuesday.

Bond has been set at $20,000.

Southeastern’s baseball team had been participating in a series at the University of Arkansas – Monticello last weekend. Cerda, 21 of San Antonio, is his second season with the Storm, having transferred to SE from Oklahoma Panhandle State.

• Related: SE officials closely monitoring situation

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ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State led 56-54 with six minutes to play on Saturday afternoon against Arkansas-Monticello but were out-scored 19-2 down the stretch as the Weevils pulled away late to win it 73-58 at the Duke Wells Center.

The Reddies (7-3, 2-2) trailed 33-32 at halftime and then found themselves down for nearly the entire second half. After falling behind 52-43 with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation Henderson put together its biggest run of the day, as four point from both Eric Dailey and Rel Johnson and a 3-pointer from Chris Parker helped spur a 13-2 Reddies’ run, which pushed them in front 56-54 with under six minutes left in the game.

UAM (6-3, 3-1) immediately responded with an 8-0 run of its own to jump back in front 62-56 with 4:29 to go. A bucket from Mike Fofana made it 62-58 at the 3:07 mark to stem the tide, but it would be Henderson’s last points of the game, as the Weevils out-scored HSU 11-0 in last three minutes to take it 73-58. The Reddies were just 1-for-10 from the field in the last six minutes.

Dailey had 16 points and five rebounds to lead Henderson, while Fofana had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. As a team the Reddies were held to just 32.8 percent shooting from the floor and a 5-for-21 mark from beyond the 3-point line.

Henderson will look to bounce back Tuesday in Durant, Okla., when the Reddies take on Southeastern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m.

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MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas-Monticello used an early 14-0 lead to help hold off Oklahoma Baptist University for a 45-37 Homecoming win, Oct. 20, at Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium. The win is the Boll Weevils’ fourth-straight Homecoming victory and third-straight win of the season.

In a game featuring more than 1,100 combined yards of offense, senior quarterback Cole Sears paced the Weevils with a 412-yard and passing day, completing 21-of-38 passes with four touchdowns.

On the Weevils’ fourth offensive play of the game, Ke’Dren Brunson found the end zone on a 72-yard pass play from Sears – Brunson’s first touchdown of the season and Sears’ third-longest career pass.

Oklahoma Baptist looked to answer, but Deon Knox picked off a Preston Haire pass at the Weevils’ 10-yard-line. Two possessions later, Sears threw his second touchdown pass of the game, connecting with DeAndre Washington from 30-yards out and a 14-0 lead.

The Bison stuffed Imani Riley on a fourth-and-goal to stop the drive and force a fumble, recovered by Myles Russell. The turnover sparked a 12-play, 97-yard OBU scoring drive. Haire carved his way through the secondary, completing 5-of-7 passes for 47 yards, including back-to-back passes of 20 and 5 yards to Cagney Roberson to put the Bison on the board, 14-7, with 11:07 to play in the half.

OBU held the Weevils and put together a 93-yard drive with Haire hitting Dillon Smith for a 20-yard touchdown. Luke Wendl’s PAT tied the game, 14-14. UAM answered before the half with Sears tossing to Deontario Brown for a 20-yard touchdown and 21-14 lead 26 seconds before halftime.

Monticello slowed the Bison’s offense a bit in the third quarter, forcing a turnover on downs and holding OBU to a 27-yard field goal by Wendl on the first two possessions. After the field goal made it 21-17, Sears put the Weevils in striking distance with a 34-yard pass to Malcomm Staten down to the 2. Staten then punched it in with a 2-yard run for his first touchdown as a Weevil and a 28-17 lead.

Each time OBU scored, UAM answered.

Tyler Stuever caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Haire early in the fourth quarter, 28-24, but Sears threw his fourth touchdown of the day, a 69-yard connection with Washington, 35-24. Then it was Haire to Josh Pettijohn from 8 yards out, 35-30, before Josh Marini tacked on a 37-yard field goal, 38-30, with 3:05 to play.

Freshman defensive back Jimel London put an end to the back-and-forth, picking off a Haire pass and returning it 56 yards for a touchdown, 45-30.

OBU attempted a late rally, scoring with a minute remaining on an 18-yard pass from Haire to Noah McGraw. Lloyd Turner recovered the on-side kick for UAM to secure the win.

Washington led the Weevils receivers with 106 yards on his three catches, while Jeremy Hampton had two catches for 88, next was Brunson’s one grab for 72 yards.

Haire finished the day with 493 yards on 43-of-64 passing and five TDs, but threw three interceptions. Roberson had 13 catches for OBU for 129 yards, Pettijohn caught nine passes for 118 yards, while Smith had 77 yards and Stuever had 75 yards, each on six catches.

Knox added eight solo tackles and an assist to his interception to lead the Weevils’ defense. Christian Jefferson had eight tackles. Marshaud Melancon joined Knox and London with interceptions.

Josh Arnold had a game-high 18 tackles for Oklahoma Baptist, followed by 10 from Kris Greer.

UAM (4-4) will remain home Oct. 27 to host Ouachita Baptist University for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

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