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FIRST PERSON: The gold standard for college coaches by Brett Maragni Date: Sep 12, 2009 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--What makes a great coach? Was Vince Lombardi right when he said that winning is the only thing? Or is it really more about how you play the game? In the rolling hills of East Tennessee, in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains, there is a football coach who has been winning with integrity for nearly 30 years. His name is Ken Sparks, and in my opinion he is the gold standard for college football coaches. Sparks’ accomplishments on the field at Carson-Newman College are more than impressive. As the Division II all-time wins leader, Sparks owns five NAIA national championships and took four more teams to the national championship game. Approaching 300 wins, Sparks is fourth among all active college coaches in all football divisions, behind St. John’s (Minn.) John Gagliardi, Penn State’s Joe Paterno and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden. He has a career winning percentage over .800, also fourth among all active coaches in all divisions. But as he enters his 30th season at the Eagles’ helm, Sparks remains true to his priorities. Winning on the field, as important as it is, is not at the top of the pile. Carson-Neman Athletic Director David Barger explains: “He has never compromised his number one priority; and that is to have a Christ-centered football program. While some of the methods to his ministry have changed with the times, his message to his players has not changed.” Billy Graham once said that the most influential person in an athlete’s life other than his parents is his coach. Barger, who as a student trainer at Carson-Newman back in the late 1960s taped the ankles of the player Ken Sparks, has now served alongside Sparks since 1980. He says that Sparks’ passion to mentor young men has been consistent and unchanged. Someone who has witnessed Sparks’ consistency and influence even closer is his son, Chad. The teaching pastor at Providence Church in nearby Knoxville, Chad chose to play for his dad at Carson-Newman even though he received attention from larger schools in higher divisions of college football. I recently asked Chad what is was like to play for his dad. “It was a great experience for me,” Chad said. “I had always wanted to play for my dad. He was and is my hero. When I was growing up, other coaches were about winning. For Dad, winning is priority No. 4, behind No. 1 - bringing players and others to Christ, No. 2 – teaching players how to be good people and No. 3 – teaching players to play great football.” What makes him most proud about his dad’s success? “I am most proud of the impact he has made in the lives of thousands (literally),” Chad said. “Not a week goes by when someone does not ask me if I’m related to Coach Ken Sparks when they hear or see my last name. When I tell them that he’s my dad, I am often treated to stories of how their son or brother or cousin -- or how they themselves -- came to Christ because of him. Sometimes with tears in their eyes. That’s what makes me most proud.” --30-- Brett Maragni is senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel of Jacksonville, Fla. His Web site is www.pastorbrett.com.
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