Ken Stephens
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1931–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Sources|date=March 2011}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Ken Stephens
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|4|2}}
| birth_place = Conway, Arkansas, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|8|28|1931|4|2}}
| death_place = Conway, Arkansas, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_sport1 = Football
| player_years2 = 1949–1951
| player_team2 = Arkansas State Teachers
| player_sport3 = Track and field
| player_years4 = {{Circa|1950}}
| player_team4 = Arkansas State Teachers
| player_positions = Defensive back (football)
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1952
| coach_team2 = Crossett HS (AR) (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1953
| coach_team3 = Bethany HS (OK)
| coach_years4 = 1956–1957
| coach_team4 = Walnut Ridge HS (AR)
| coach_years5 = 1958–1959
| coach_team5 = Conway HS (AR)
| coach_years6 = 1960
| coach_team6 = Arkansas State (assistant)
| coach_years7 = 1962
| coach_team7 = Morrilton HS (AR)
| coach_years8 = 1963–1970
| coach_team8 = North Little Rock HS (AR)
| coach_years9 = 1971
| coach_team9 = Arkansas (assistant)
| coach_years10 = 1972–1981
| coach_team10 = State College of Arkansas / Central Arkansas
| coach_years11 = 1982–1985
| coach_team11 = Lamar
| coach_years12 = 1986–1992
| coach_team12 = Arkansas Tech
| coach_years13 = 2001–2004
| coach_team13 = Ranger
| coach_sport14 = Golf
| coach_years15 = 2000
| coach_team15 = Central Arkansas
| overall_record = 106–106–8 (college football)
15–25 (junior college football)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = Football
1–4 (NAIA D-I playoffs)
| championships = Football
4 AIC (1976, 1978, 1980–1981)
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Kenneth Gene Stephens (April 2, 1931 – August 28, 2023) was an American football coach.{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=7554|title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas}} He served as head coach of the University of Central Arkansas from 1972 to 1981 Lamar University from 1982 to 1985, and Arkansas Tech University from 1986 to 1992, compiling a career college football coaching record of 106–106–8.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=43IpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O9UEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1313%2C717126 Arkansas Bears to invade Indian country]
Stephens was a graduate of Central Arkansas, where he played as a defensive back and still holds the record for interceptions in a game with five. Stephens also competed in track and field, where he was the NAIA runner-up in the 120-yard hurdles in 1951 and 1952.{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/kenneth-gene-7554/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}} 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.[http://thecabin.net/stories/072508/spo_0725080021.shtml Lamar re-institutes football with great energy] 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/mar/09/former-uca-tech-coach-inducted-arkansas-sports-hal/|title = Former UCA, Tech coach inducted into Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame|date = 9 March 2014}}
Stephens died in Conway on August 28, 2023, at the age of 92.{{cite news |title=Kenneth Gene Stephens |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/obituaries/2023/sep/03/kenneth-stephens-2023-09-03/ |access-date=8 December 2023 |publisher=Arkansas Democrat Gazette |date=3 September 2023}}
Head coaching record
=College football=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = State College of Arkansas / Central Arkansas Bears
| conf = Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
| startyear = 1972
| endyear = 1981
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1972
| name = State College of Arkansas
| overall = 2–7–1
| conference = 0–5–1
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1973
| name = State College of Arkansas
| overall = 6–5
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1974
| name = State College of Arkansas
| overall = 6–3–2
| conference = 2–2–2
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1975
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 4–6–1
| conference = 3–2–1
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1976
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 9–3
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding = T–1st
| bowlname = NAIA Division I Championship
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1977
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 7–3
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1978
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 9–2
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NAIA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1979
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 7–2–2
| conference = 2–2–2
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1980
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 9–1
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NAIA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1981
| name = Central Arkansas
| overall = 8–3
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NAIA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = State College of Arkansas / Central Arkansas
| overall = 67–35–6
| confrecord = 37–17–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Lamar Cardinals
| conf = Southland Conference
| startyear = 1982
| endyear = 1985
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1982
| name = Lamar
| overall = 4–7
| conference = 1–4
| confstanding = T–5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1983
| name = Lamar
| overall = 2–9
| conference = 1–5
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1984
| name = Lamar
| overall = 2–9
| conference = 1–5
| confstanding = T–6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1985
| name = Lamar
| overall = 3–8
| conference = 0–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Lamar
| overall = 11–33
| confrecord = 3–20
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys
| conf = Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
| startyear = 1986
| endyear = 1992
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1986
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 6–4
| conference = 5–2
| confstanding = T–2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1987
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 2–6–1
| conference = 1–4–1
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1988
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 6–4
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1989
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 6–3
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1990
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 4–6
| conference = 0–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1991
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 0–10
| conference = 0–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1992
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 4–5–1
| conference = 2–4
| confstanding = 5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Arkansas Tech
| overall = 28–38–2
| confrecord = 14–28–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 106–106–8
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
=Junior college football=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Ranger Rangers
| conf = Southwest Junior College Football Conference
| startyear = 2001
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2001
| name = Ranger
| overall = 2–8
| conference = 1–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Ranger Rangers
| conf = NJCAA independent
| startyear = 2002
| endyear = 2004
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2002
| name = Ranger
| overall = 5–5
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2003
| name = Ranger
| overall = 4–6
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2004
| name = Ranger
| overall = 4–6
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Ranger
| overall = 15–25
| confrecord = 1–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 15–25
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Central Arkansas Bears football coach navbox}}
{{Lamar Cardinals football coach navbox}}
{{Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Ken}}
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches
Category:Arkansas State Red Wolves football coaches
Category:Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys football coaches
Category:Central Arkansas Bears football coaches
Category:Lamar Cardinals football coaches
Category:Ranger Rangers football coaches
Category:College golf coaches in the United States
Category:Central Arkansas Bears track and field athletes
Category:High school football coaches in Arkansas
Category:High school football coaches in Oklahoma
Category:People from Conway, Arkansas