Clint Conque was a long way from the hotseat after he led the Bears to one of their best seasons in school history. A Gulf South Conference Championship and a trip deep into the playoffs that almost didn’t end, until North Alabama’s Yuta Fukuda made a kick he didn’t even seem to understand the significance of, had Conque’s popularity higher than ever among the Central Arkansas faithful.

But now, Conque is even farther away from being on the hotseat, getting a new contract, virtually ensuring his presence at UCA throughout the Division I-AA transitional period and for the next five years.

The difference between a three and five-year deal may not seem like a whole lot right now, but when you look at the journey the UCA football program will be going on in the next five years, the extra two years could mean a lot. Wins won’t come quite as easy as the Bears go from playing Division II opponents to I-AA and even I-A foes. And there’s no doubt some people currently on the Conque bandwagon will jump off in the coming years, but no matter what happens in the next five years, there will be stability in the program.

Along with the exceptional season Conque and his team had last season, the need for stability was the main reason the administration found the need to extend his contract.

And, in my opinion, it was done justly so.

Like the need for ultimate political power during times of war throughout history, I think the task of bringing UCA from a Division II school to a dominant Division I-AA team should be allocated to one person.

Conque’s coaching experience prior to his time at UCA was primarily with either I-AA or I-A teams. The guy knows what it takes to play at the level the Bears are moving to, and he has the ability to get those players.

He’s already proven he can recruit with Division I-A schools within the state. Matt Clinkscales, the running back from Springdale that recently committed to UCA, also had a scholarship offer from Arkansas State. Although UCA probably won’t be eligible for postseason play while he is here, and the Bears aren’t even on the same classification level as the Indians, Clinkscales chose UCA, saying the coaching staff sat down with him and showed him the offense on tape and made him feel comfortable here.

Sounds like Conque is doing something right.

I feel comfortable with him being the architect to mold the UCA program from what it is now to what it could be in five years. But I’m not the only one, I get the feeling that most UCA fans are behind Conque and support the decision made by the administration to lengthen his contract.

His popularity with UCA fans stems not only from his success, but, I think, from his “cool” and daring image. How many other coaches wear their hat backwards on the sideline? Conque’s subtle Cajun accent is enough to be somewhat intriguing but not enough to isolate him from his mostly Arkansas-born fan base. His sometimes illogical calls on 4th down seem to make the fans cheer even louder.

Conque has found his niche in Conway. Conway loves him, and apparently he loves Conway back. Why else would he turn down a Division I-A job in his hometown after going 3-8 at Division II UCA. That’s what Conque did in 2001 when he turned down the Louisiana-Lafayette job to remain as the Bears head ‘ball coach.

As any other public figure and football coach, Conque has his doubters and haters. But they will have to deal with him for the next five years, and if UCA isn’t where it should be after that time period, they will be proven right. But, until then, Conque is the right man for the job.