Sport(s) Football 1982-1985 Lamar 1960s Central Arkansas 1986-1992 Arkansas Tech | Position(s) Defensive back Name Ken Stephens 1972-1981 Central Arkansas | |
Born April 2, 1931 (age 92)
Conway, Arkansas ( 1931-04-02 ) | ||
Kenneth Gene Stephens (born April 2, 1931) is a former American football coach. He served as head coach the University of Central Arkansas, Lamar University and Arkansas Tech University.
Stephens is a graduate of Central Arkansas, where he played as a defensive back and still holds the record for interceptions in a game (five). He began his coaching career at the high school level, winning three state championships at North Little Rock, Arkansas, before moving on the Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas as an assistant. He was appointed head coach at his alma mater in 1972. In 10 seasons, Stephens built a 67–35–6 record at Central Arkansas, third-best in school history only to his two successors, winning four Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference titles and taking the Bears to four NAIA playoffs, the first in school history.
In 1982, Stephens went on to coach at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, but resigned in 1985 after four consecutive losing seasons. He then became head coach at Arkansas Tech, spending seven seasons there before retiring in 1992. Stephens returned to coaching in 2001, taking over as head coach at Ranger College in Ranger, Texas, for four seasons.
On February 28, 2014, Stephens was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.