by Scott Stirling

By giving him a purple and gray helmet he hasn’t worn since 1975, president Lu Hardin symbolically handed over the reins of the athletic department to UCA alumnus John Thompson at a Wednesday morning news conference.

Thompson was introduced as UCA’s new Athletic Director at the conference in Wingo Hall. A Bear defensive back for two years and a 1978 graduate of the university, Thompson follows former AD Vance Strange who abruptly resigned last Friday.

“We are very fortunate today to be naming an individual who has strong ties to the University of Central Arkansas as Athletic Director, and will be able – without a doubt – to be able to continue the vision that Athletic Director Vance Strange had for this university,” Hardin said during Thompson’s introduction.

Hardin said a limited search was planned at first, but Thompson quickly emerged as the strongest candidate. The Board of Trustees and Hardin felt comfortable making the hire without conducting a search. With UCA’s move to Division I, Hardin said there was no time to leave the position unfilled.

“I thought, on Saturday, that perhaps we would have a limited search, but if you have an individual with the qualifications, the desire and the work ethic then there is no need,” Hardin said. “And there is a gross misperception that you have to (conduct a search); you do not, and in many cases it’s much better not to and in this case we were very fortunate to have an individual that can step in and do the job.

“I will quote Ecclesiastes,” Hardin joked. “There is a time for a national search and a time not for a national search.”

Since 1998, Thompson has coached at six different schools. After his contract was bought out early this year by South Carolina, where he was a co-defensive coordinator on Steve Spurrier’s staff, his wife Charleen decided Conway was where they wanted to raise their two children and the family headed back to his home state.

Thompson said although he has bounced from school to school in the past – coaching at Arkansas, Northwestern State, Alabama, Louisiana Tech, Southern Mississippi, Memphis, LSU, Florida, East Carolina and South Carolina – his career has come full circle and he intends on setting “deep, deep roots” in Conway and staying at his alma mater for a long time.

“We have no plans on doing anything else but working our tail off at the University of Central Arkansas and raising these children right here,” the Forrest City native said. “You know, it all started right here and I am so happy to be here and I don’t plan on doing anything else.”

Hardin said Thompson was one of five names that stood out immediately when he was looking at candidates to fill the position. Conversations were had with three or four others but Hardin took a liking to Thompson who was already living in Conway and had a lot of Division I experience.

“As the few days developed it became clear to me that coach Thompson had the extraordinary work ethic that I espouse, that he had the experience, that this was the man for the University of Central Arkansas,” Hardin said.

“This university has complete unlimited potential,” Thompson said. “But potential’s not gonna get it done. Potential doesn’t win any games – football, baseball, basketball, it doesn’t win any races it doesn’t win anything. Potential doesn’t do that. Hard work gets it done and that’s what happens and that’s what’s going to continue to happen in this office. We are going to work hard; we’re going to be attentive to every single detail. We have a lot of work to get done.”

That work includes filing a national report to the NCAA by June 1st and facilitating UCA’s move to Division I-AA and the Southland Conference. One of Thompson’s longer stops was at Northwestern State, a member of the Southland, where he was the defensive coordinator for six years. Thompson said he understands the talent level of Division I very well and will work with UCA’s coaches to have success in the Bears new conference.

“John’s a professional,” football coach Clint Conque said. “He’s the director of athletics and I’m the head football coach at this university and certainly he’s gonna be the boss and he’s got the big vision for our department. We’re just gonna do the things in our shop that have proven to be successful in recruiting, player retention, player development, academics and we’re gonna follow his leadership so we can move forward.”

Conque said he has known Thompson professionally for 15 years and their paths have crossed several times. Baseball coach Doug Clark was a coach for the Razorbacks baseball team while Thompson was there as defensive coordinator and the two developed a good relationship there.

“I’m really looking forward to being under his guidance,” Clark said. “Because he has name recognition and with this move to Division I, I think the fundraising part of it will be increased so it should be an exciting time.”

Basketball coach Rand Chappell did not know Thompson well before he came to UCA, but likes what he has seen so far.

“It’s really impressive what he’s accomplished in his career and the experiences he’s had and the people he knows both in this area and nationally,” Chappell said. “So I think it’s a great hire for us.”

Although Thompson has extensive Division I coaching experience, this will be his first job in administration. His only head coaching job was at East Carolina in the 2003 and 2004 seasons where he resigned after compiling a 3-20 record.

“I think I’ve drawn a little bit from obviously every place that I’ve been and I will use that,” Thompson said. “But I’m gonna be my own man, I will use my own administrative style – I was a head coach for a couple of years – but I have learned from everybody that I’ve ever been around.

“I take this job with a tremendous sense of pride, a tremendous sense of loyalty to this university – and it sounds so good to hear myself say that,” Thompson said. “I have chill bumps right now to talk about serving this university.”