Who's who: the players in Arkansas sports

Arkansas Business, Dec 3, 2007

Arkansas is dotted with outstanding sports performers and heroes in the collegiate and pro ranks. ArkansasSports360.com offers a fist of the key players, a Who's Who of sports in Arkansas, from the people calling the shots to the prayers performing to the folks on the sidelines who bring it to the fans through media outlets.

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THE PEOPLE

Frank Broyles. Outgoing athletic director of the University of Arkansas, who served in the post for 34 years and was head football coach at the UA from 1958-76.

Ron Calcagni. The former Arkansas Razorback quarterbacking star of 1977-78 will coach the first version of Team Arkansas in the fledgling All American Football League, which starts up in April.

Charles Cella. Thoroughbred racing is the only sport in which Arkansas has a major league franchise, thanks to the Celia family of St. Louis and owners of Oaklawn Park.

Maurice Carthon. A star player out of Osceola for Arkansas State University and a successful running back in the pros with such teams as the New York Giants, he's gone on to a profitable coaching career in the NFL as a running backs coach and offensive coordinator with several teams, currently Arizona.

Monte Coleman. The Pine Bluff native, who played 16 years for the Washington Redskins, recently was named the head football coach at UAPB.

Mike Conley. Though no longer an Olympic competitor, he's a force in the AAU basketball organization and even represents NBA rookie Greg Oden as his agent. His statue stands in the entryway of Bud Walton Arena on the UA campus.

Clint Conque. The head football coach of the University of Central Arkansas has made the Bears one of the most exciting teams in the region and a contender in their first year in the Southland Conference.

Ron Crawford. A businessman who started the AAU basketball movement in Arkansas and became one of the national leaders of the organization. Always knows who can play and what recruits are going where.

Bill Davis. The Batesville trucking company owner is also a fixture on the NASCAR circuit as a major car and truck owner. His drivers include Jacques Villeneuve, Dave Blaney (truck series), Mike Skinner (truck series) and Johnny Benson.

Butch Davis. The coach at North Carolina is a Springdale native and former Razorback player under Frank Broyles. He rebuilt the University of Miami football program in the 1990s and coached in the NFL.

Chuck Dicus. The former University of Arkansas All-America receiver is head of the Razorback Foundation, where sits the millions that fund the UA men's athletic department.

Eric Edelstein. General manager for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, an AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals preparing for their first year in a new ballpark in Springdale. Edelstein, 28, is quickly rising through the ranks of minor league baseball and has overseen key decisions in the Wichita Wranglers' move to northwest Arkansas.

Wallace Fowler. The northeast Arkansas businessman could be described as the Jim Lindsey of Arkansas State University. Fowler maintains a friendship with UA football coach Houston Nutt and has been instrumental in influencing moves in Jonesboro, such as the retention of Dickey Nutt as head basketball coach despite average results in recent years.

Jay Fox. An outstanding amateur golfer, this Searcy native has taken his love of the game inside to run the Arkansas State Golf Association.

Lu Hardin. His vision took the University of Central Arkansas to NCAA Division I, and he continues to be the "face" of the athletic program as well as the school as a whole. He even did radio color when they played Kentucky in basketball.

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John Henry. The former farmland owner in the Forrest City area is the owner of the world champion Boston Red Sex.

Fitz Hill. The Arkadelphia native started the first junior college football program in Arkansas, helped create Life CHAMPS, and started the Delta Classic 4 Literacy. He is going to be a sports player in addition to an athletic player for many years to come.

Eric Jackson. The general manager of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs has overseen its growth as one of the biggest tracks in thoroughbred racing and is a factor in determining the best horses in the land.

Keith Jackson. The Little Rock Parkview graduate started in college and pro football and came home to create PARK, serve as color analyst for the Arkansas Razorback Sports Network football radio broadcasts, and much more.

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Jimmy Johnson. The former Razorback player on the 1964 national championship team was the first coach to win a national title (Miami) and Super Bowl (Dallas), and now appears weekly on the Fox network's NFL coverage.

Joe Kleine. Assistant basketball coach at UALR; the former Hog great and veteran NBA player won an NBA ring with the Chicago Bulls.

Jack Lankford. ATV sales executive has turned to guiding the Arkansas Twisters indoor football team of the Arenafootball-2league, which plays April through July at Alltel Arena.

Bev Lewis. Long a fixture at the University of Arkansas guiding the women's athletic programs, her role has been enhanced with the merging of the UA's men's and women's programs. Lewis is associate vice chancellor for athletics.