Arkansas State Red Wolves

Infobox college athletics
name = Arkansas State Red Wolves

logo_width = 150
university = Arkansas State University
conference = Sun Belt Conference
division = Division I
director = Dean Lee
city = Jonesboro
state = Arkansas
stateabb = AR
teams = 12
stadium = Indian Stadium
arena = Convocation Center
mascot = Howl (formerly The Indian Tribe, Jumping Joe, Running Joe, and Red)
nickname = Red Wolves (formerly Indians until 2008)
color1 = Scarlet
color2 = Black
hex1 = FF2400
hex2 = 000000
pageurl = http://astateredwolves.com/
pagename = astateredwolves.com

The Arkansas State University Red Wolves (known as the Indians until Fall 2008) is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains NCAA Division I status.

History

Arkansas State was a member of the Southland Conference from 1964-1986. Arkansas State would then remain independent until joining the Big West Conference in 1993, remaining until 1995. Arkansas State would rejoin the Big West Conference for two years (1999-2000) before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2001.cite web |url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/arkansas_state/index.php |title=Arkansas State Historical |accessdate = 2008-03-10 |work=College Football Data Warehouse]

Mascot

Indians (1931-2008)

The school's sports teams were nicknamed "Indians" in honor of the Osage Nation that inhabited the area until the 1800s. [cite news |url=http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=3356829&nav=0jsia7N3 |title=NCAA May Force ASU To Drop Indian Mascot] [cite web |url=http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/009701.asp |title=NCAA won't allow Indian mascots at playoff games| publisher= Noble Savage Media |accessdate = 2007-10-17] The name “Indians” officially became the school’s athletic nickname in 1931 following “Aggies” in 1911 (sometimes called “Farmers”), “Gorillas” in 1925, and then “Warriors” in 1930. [cite news |url=http://asunews.astate.edu/MascotRetirement.htm|title=Mascot Retirement]

Arkansas State officially retired the Indian mascot on February 28, 2008 during the last home basketball game of the season. The school's nickname was the Indians for the rest of the 2007-08 school year.

Red Wolves

On January 31, 2008, Arkansas State University’s Mascot Selection Steering Committee decided to use the Wolves as a mascot. [cite web |url=http://www.asuindians.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=1378831 |title=Mascot Selection Steering Committee votes to recommend ‘Wolves’ as next ASU mascot |date=2008-01-31 |work=Arkansas State Athletics] The Red Wolves was officially approved by the NCAA on March 7, 2008. [cite web| url=http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=61924 |title=Arkansas State Goes With Red Wolves |author=Rued, Monika |publisher=TodaysTHV |work=Associated Press |date=2008-03-07 |accessdate = 2008-03-07] The unveiling ceremony for the new Red Wolves logo was held on March 13, 2008. The University planned on doing a slow phase out of the Indian imagery on the Arkansas State University campus. According to the Athletic Director Dr. Dean Lee, the Indian imagery will be phased out by importance, meaning the most visible sports will have the Red Wolves imagery first.

Football

Arkansas State started playing football in 1911 and didn't field teams in 1918 and 1942 through 1944 because of the World Wars. Coincidentally, the 1941 team managed to lose all seven games and didn't score a point, with opponents piling up 308 points. [https://www.nmnathletics.com/pdf1/133063.pdf?ATCLID=1514494&SPID=2798&DB_OEM_ID=7200&SPSID=45847]

During the 1950s under coach Forrest England, ASU emerged as a bit of a regional football power, appearing in four post-season bowl games from 1951 to 1953. The Indians won the 1951 Refrigerator Bowl, tied the 1953 Tangerine Bowl and lost in both the 1952 Refrigerator Bowl and the 1951 Tangerine Bowl. The 1951 games were both played after the 1951 season. [https://www.nmnathletics.com/pdf1/133063.pdf?ATCLID=1514494&SPID=2798&DB_OEM_ID=7200&SPSID=45847]

In 1970, as a member of the Southland Conference, Arkansas State was crowned the NCAA small college football national champion as Arkansas State defeated Central Missouri State University in the Pecan Bowl under head coach Bennie Ellender to complete an 11-0 undefeated season. The Small College Division National Championship, in what is now known as NCAA Division II, capped three straight bowl appearances by the Indians. At the time, the division competed in four separate regional bowl games with the national champion chosen by the polls after the bowls.

After moving into the NCAA Division I level, Arkansas State recorded an undefeated season (going 11-0) in Division I in 1975 and was one of only two undefeated Division I football teams that year. Arkansas State was one of only four institutions to have gone undefeated and not win a National Championship at the Division I-A (now Division I FBS) level. Since Arkansas State was a member of the Southland Conference, and the league did not have a bowl game tie-in, Arkansas State was not selected for post-season play. As a result of this inequity, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana was created (though ASU has never played in the game).

During the 1980s under coach Larry Lacewell, Arkansas State was in the NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS), making four appearances in the playoffs, including a loss in the national championship game in 1986 to FCS powerhouse GeorgiaSouthern, 48-21.

During the 2005 football season, Arkansas State finished the regular season as Sun Belt Conference champions with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses and was invited to the New Orleans Bowl. This was the school's first bowl game since the trip to the 1970 Pecan Bowl and subsequent national college division championship. The Indians lost to The University of Southern Mississippi in the game, which was played that year in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Arkansas State has won a total of six conference championships - five Southland Conference Championships and one Sunbelt Championship.

Rivalries

Arkansas State's primary rival is the University of Memphis. The two schools are the only two Football Bowl Subdivision schools in the "Delta" region of Arkansas and Tennessee. The schools began playing the "Paint Bucket" series in 1955. The winner of the game would get to do whatever they pleased with an area of the other teams campus. Starting in 2004, Arkansas State rekindled a rivalry with the Memphis Tigers. In 2004, the 24th ranked Memphis Tigers defeated Arkansas State 47-35 before the largest crowd to ever watch a game at Indian Stadium, 30,427. In 2006, Arkansas State beat Memphis at the Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee after a last second Hail Mary touchdown to secure the win, 26-23, and ending a ten game losing streak to the Tigers. The teams met again in 2007 at Indian Stadium, where the Indians rallied in the second half to beat the Tigers 35-31 after trailing 31-6 at halftime. The schools have met 54 times, with the Tigers leading the series 27-22-5.

The Indians enjoyed a rivalry with Louisiana Tech University up until 1998. The overall series went to the Bulldogs (25-12-0) during a time that the schools won a combined 14 Southland Conference championships. ASU won the first meeting in Jonesboro in 1956, 21-13. In 1998, Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State ended the series when Tech moved into the Western Athletic Conference. The final game between the two was played in 1998 in Jonesboro and Tech won handily 69-21.

The Troy Trojans are another of Arkansas State's rivals. The Red Wolves lead the overall series against Troy (6-2). The first game between the two schools was played in Jonesboro and ASU won the game 27-0. From 2004 to 2006, ASU won three straight against the Trojans. However in 2007, Arkansas State's winning streak over Troy University was snapped when the Trojans beat the Indians 27-0, one of the worst losses the Indians have ever had under head football coach Steve Roberts. The series is alternated every year between Jonesboro and Troy, Alabama.

Gary Withrow Offensive Linemen Award

Named after former offensive line coach Gary Withrow, the Gary Withrow Award is voted on by the Arkansas State coaching staff and awarded to an offensive lineman and sponsored by the Old Warriors Foundation and presented by Tommy Walker (OG 80-83), president of the Old Warriors Foundation. The award winner receives a trophy and the winner's name will be added to the Withrow plaque that is mounted in the offensive lineman meeting room. The award was created in 2003 and the winner of the first Gary Withrow Award was Kimani Jones.

Winners of the Gary Withrow Award

* 2003 - Kimani Jones
* 2004 - Steve Gibbs
* 2005 - Tanner Jenkins
* 2006 - Tanner Jenkins
* 2007 - Matt Mandich [cite pressrelease|title=Mandich Receives Gary Withrow Award |date=2008-02-18 |accessdate = 2008-03-11 |url=http://www.asuindians.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=1392033 |work=Arkansas State Athletics]

Basketball

Arkansas State shares an in-state rivalry with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans (UALR). In recent years, the basketball series has gone in favor of Arkansas State with ASU winning five of the past six games (updated 2007-2008 season). The ASU - UALR series has become one of the more intense rivalries in the Sunbelt Conference. The schools play each other twice per year, splitting the series between Litte Rock and Jonesboro.

In 1987, Arkansas State University received a bid to play in the National Invitation Tournament. The first game was against the University of Arkansas and was played in Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. While the Indians led for the majority of the game, the Razorbacks rallied from a 20 point half-time deficit and won in overtime. The game marks the only meeting between the two universities in men's basketball. In 1999, ASU went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, losing to Utah in the first round.

In the 2006-2007 season, ASU won the Sun Belt West Division Championship, finishing just ahead of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The Indians went on to lose to the North Texas Mean Green in the finals of the SBC Conference Tournament. After an (18-15) season and a finals appearance in the Sunbelt Conference Tournament, ASU tumbled to (10-20) the next season. One of the worst performances in school history, this record was a huge contributing factor in head basketball coach Dickie Nutt's resignation. ASU then began a month-long search for a new basketball coach.

On March 19 2008, Arkansas State named John Brady as the university's [http://www.asuindians.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=1415451 15th head basketball coach] . Brady had coached at Louisiana State University of the SEC, taking the Tigers to the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament in 2004. Brady will be the only head basketball coach in the Sun Belt Conference with Final Four experience.

Baseball

Under head coach Keith Kessinger, ASU's baseball team usually finished in the middle of the pack in the SBC. ASU has claimed several victories over major teams in the last few years, including wins over the University of Mississippi, University of Kentucky, and Michigan State University. Arkansas State University director of athletics Dr. Dean Lee announced on July 1 2008 that Tommy Raffo had been named head coach of the Red Wolves baseball team. Raffo was hired from Mississippi State after the controversial retirement of Ron Polk at MSU.

Fight song

On, On, On to victory
Brave team you're second to none
Let's make this game history
along with the others we've won
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
with all your might
so that the world may see that
RED-W-O-L-V-E-S means Victory!Go stAte!

Notable sports figures

* Fred Barnett - former NFL wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins
* Earl Bell - Olympic bronze medal pole vaulter and former world record holder
* Bill Bergey - NFL linebacker
* Ray Brown- retired veteran NFL offensive lineman
* Maurice Carthon - NFL/USFL player and NFL coach
* Carlos Emmons- NFL linebacker who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants
* Brad Franchione - college football coach
* Jeff Hartwig - US record holding pole vaulter
* Thomas Hill - Olympic silver medalist in 110-meter hurdles in 1972
* James Johnson - Most Valuable Player of 2007 CFL Grey Cup
*Tyrell Johnson - drafted with 43rd pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2008 NFL Draft
* Ken Jones - 12 year NFL offensive lineman, primarily with the Buffalo Bills
* Al Joyner - Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump
* Larry Lacewell - former head coach of Arkansas State; former director of scouting for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League
* Cleo Lemon - quarterback for Jacksonville Jaguars
* Kellie Suttle - two time Olympic pole vaulter and silver medalist at 2001 World Indoor Championships and 1999 Pan American Games
* Charley Thornton - sports figure
* Corey Williams - defensive tackle for Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns

References