Appalachian State University - Rhododendron Yearbook (Boone, NC)

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Mack Brown: ASU Head Football Coach Less than a month after the firing of Mike Working, Appalachian State has a new head football coach. He is 31 year-old Mack Brown, last year ' s quarterback coach from Louisiana State University. The announcement by ASU Athletic Director Jim Garner came on Friday, December 17, at a press conference held at the Owens Field House. I sincerely believe we have hired the best young coach in the NCAA ranks, said Garner. In checking around the country, many told me that Mack was the hottest commodity in college coaching. Brown certainly made an impression in his most recent coaching assignment. Last year, LSU finished 3-7-1. This year, the Bengal Tigers finished 8-3-1, losing to Nebraska 31-28 in the Orange Bowl on New Year ' s evening. With Brown doing the offensive play-calling, LSU averaged 412.4 yards per game through its eleven regular-season games, one of the nation ' s leading figures. The Tigers are sixth in scoring among Division I-A schools (33.2 points per game) . Victories were registered against Florida, Florida State, and Alabama — all of whom have been ranked in the nation ' s top ten. Tiger quarterback Alan Risher was ranked second nationally in passing efficiency, the NCAA ' s method of rating quarterbacks. In his tenure at LSU, Risher erased all the records held by former Tiger great Bert Jones. Although Brown is only 31 years old, he has eleven years of coaching on the collegiate level. He began at Florida State, where he was a part-time assistant from 1972-74. He coached the receivers for one year and was head junior varsity coach for one year. From 1974-77, he was receiver coach at the Challenge Ahead Victory in Mind University of Southern Mississippi, where he was also in charge of the passing game. In 1978, he was quarterback and receiver coach at Memphis State. There he coached Ernest Gray, a first-round draft pick by the New York Giants. Brown ' s next assignment was at Iowa State, where he was receiver coach for one year and offensive coordinator for two years. His teams at Iowa State broke seventeen offensive records and produced the Big Eight ' s leading total offense leader and its leading rusher while he was offensive coordinator. Then came LSU, where he played a key role in the nation ' s second most improved team. Garner said at the time of Working ' s release that his priorities in filling the coaching position were, first, to get a moral. Christian individual of unquestionable integrity and character who is as clean as a whistle with the NCAA; second, to get a good people person, a public relations person; and third, to get the best X ' s and O ' s coach available. Out of 77 applicants — from the professional, college and high school ranks — Garner feels he was able to carry out with his original intentions. Mack has everything we had on our priority list, personally and professionally, he said. This successfully caps a long, thorough and exhaustive search. This is a banner day for Mountaineer football and the Appalachian athletic family. Appalachian State Chancellor Dr. John Thomas concurred with Garner ' s thoughts. We are pleased to have the services of this young fellow, said Thomas. His wealth of experience — and successful experience at that — at major universities was certainly influential in his selection. He received formidable competition from several able coaches and his selection is a real tribute to his abilities. We think Mack is exactly what we ' ve been looking for and that he will fill this position in a very effective way. Brown is a native of Cookeville, Tennessee, where he graduated from Putnam County Senior High School in 1968. There he was captain of the school ' s football, basketball and baseball teams. He was voted one of the Top 100 backs in the country and was named to all-state and all-America teams. Brown began his college career at Vanderbilt, where he started at running back for two years. He transferred to Florida State and finished his undergraduate degree there, also playing as a starting running back for two seasons. His junior year team played in the Fiesta Bowl ' s first game. He is married. He and his wife, Debbie, have two daughters, Katherine who is five and Barbara who is two. Brown said he was attracted to the coaching position at ASU because he was, very, very impressed with the school ' s administration, starting with Dr. Thomas and working through Jim Garner. I see a total commitment there to having an outstanding athletic program, he added, Plus, I am from Tennessee and I am excited about being back in the area. I am very excited about the challenge of winning a Southern Conference championship at Appalachian. Head Football Coach 285

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A Time For Change A Man For Change When people look back to the 1982-83 sports year at ASU one aspect will stand out over all the rest - CHANGE. It was the year that saw its football program downgraded by the NCAA from Division I-A to Division I-AA. It was also the year that saw the retirement of C. H. Gilstrap as Athletic Director, turning the reins over to a young west Texan by the name of Jim Garner. Garner was named the new Appalachian State Athletic Director in September of 1982 after spending several years as the Assistant AD at West Texas State University. When asked why he chose to come to ASU, Garner said, I had done some checking around, calling some of the other AD ' s in the Southern Conference, trying to find out what I might be getting into. And they informed me that it was a very good, sound program, unlike most when there is a change of leadership, where there are usually a lot of problems. Not only had he done his homework on the ASU sports program, he also did his domestic homework. When there are a wife and three kids to think about, you don ' t just pull up stakes and move anywhere. Boy, is that the truth. I really liked the community very much when I visited. It is the size of community I want to live in and raise my family. With the wife and kids, the community is very important, said Garner. Soon after Garner took over, he was flooded with questions from students, the press, local residents, all of which concerning the new Division I-AA classification for ASU and Southern Conference football. His reply, I think it ' s the best thing that could have ever happened to ASU football. Comparing our football program to say NC State or North Carolina is like comparing apples and oranges. We just can not compete with them financially or, consequently, in athletics either. Garner also was very quick to point out other advantages that the Division I-AA classification brings to the Southern Conference. With this new classification, we now have a chance to compete in a post season championship play off. Last year, if we had gone 1 1-0, we would not have gone to a bowl. The Bowl Committees don ' t pick small teams like ASU or Western Carolina even if they do go 10-1 or 11-0. They will always go for the Nebraskas, the Georgia ' s, or the Florida State ' s. This way we have a chance to play for a national championship and I think this will breed a lot more interest in the future for Southern Conference football. At the news conference where he was named the new AD, Garner stated that he felt the ASU sports program was in good shape because, you don ' t win five consecutive Southern Conference Commissioners Cups by having a bad program. However, he went on to say that his biggest concern would be in the area of fund-raising, promotions, and public relations. Without money we can ' t do the things we want to do. It ' s that simple. I want to do all that I can to make Appalachian as visible as possible. I ' m a people person. Anything I can do, 284 Athletic Director ' -m iSf ' Jim Garner: ASU Athletic Director I will do. I ' ll travel; I ' ll speak; I ' ll do whatever it takes to get us noticed, positively of course. I don ' t intend to be tied down to a desk. Another of Garner ' s main goals is to see Appalachian State at the forefront of Division I-AA football. I want us to consistently be a leader in the Southern Conference and in the division. That ' s just the way I am. I never wanted to march in the middle of a parade. I always strove to march in front of it. Some of his secondary goals for the program include the addition of a separate weight room for the athletic department, new astroturf for Conrad Stadium, and a new track. So far, the biggest step that Garner has taken towards improving the outlook of ASU athletics in general, and football in particular came on Sunday evening, November twenty-first. In a prepared statement, Chancellor John Thomas read these words: Mike Working is being relieved from his position as head football coach at Appalachian State University. Our Athletic Director Jim Garner will proceed immediately to recruit a replacement. All of us at ASU wish Coach Working well. Garner added these final words, This is the unpleasant part of this business. However, I always believe everything works out for the best. And I sincerely feel that will be true in this case, both for Mike and his staff, and for Appalachian State University. Garner hopes that in the coming years enthusiasm will begin to flourish once again at ASU athletic events, I want the people who come to all of our athletic events to come for the family atmosphere and the fun atmosphere. I firmly believe we ' re in the entertainment business. I want people to leave our athletic events with a good taste in their mouths and the desire to come back. I want people to feel good about our program, and hopefully encourage them to become more involved with it.

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iiSA-thletes ' Footnotes What Role Does Sports Play in Your Life at ASU? Athletics are very important. In my opinion every student should be involved in some form of athletics. Athletics should be educational, if used right. Jan Watson, Coach Women ' s Field Hockey It takes up the largest part of my day. Football is on my mind everyday. It ' s the one obligation I have besides going to classes. It ' s not like being like other students who just pay money for their tuition. We have to pay with a little blood and sweat. Some mornings you roll out of bed and don ' t feel like moving, but you get up anyway. Darrin Wilson, Junior Middle guard Mountaineer Football team ' I ,JJUjip iil! .: ' uUlMilllMII Wi • 286 Sound-off