Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: Carson-Newman University [TN] (1980-2016)
Place of Birth: Knoxville, Tennessee
Date of Birth: February 25, 1944
Place of Death: Knoxville, Tennessee
Date of Death: March 29, 2017 (aged 73)
Career Record: 338-99-2 (77.2%)
Ken Sparks built one of the most dominant and enduring programs in the history of college football, forging a legacy of excellence across nearly four decades at Carson-Newman University. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native now becomes the first person ever from the Eagles program to enter the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.
Over 37 seasons, Sparks compiled a 338-99-2 career record, ranking sixth all-time in victories among all divisions. His .772 winning percentage ranks 18th all-time among coaches from all divisions in college football history.
Sparks led the Eagles to five NAIA national championships -- in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989 and played in the title game as the NAIA runner-up in 1987 before seamlessly transitioning to NCAA Division II competition in 1993, where the Eagles advanced to three national championship games (1996, 1998, 1999) and reached the semifinals in 1997 and 2009. Across both classifications, Sparks guided the program to 25 playoff appearances, 21 South Atlantic Conference Championships and produced 52 First Team All-Americans and 104 overall.
He was named the NAIA Coach of the Year in 1984 and voted the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year by his peers 12 times. He was named the Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Coach of the Year, the American Football Coach Magazine Division II Coach of the Year and the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2002.
Sparks was inducted into the inaugural NCAA Division II Hall of Fame Coaches Class in 2010. He has been inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame, Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and the Carson-Newman Athletic Hall of Fame.
His numerous honors included the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Lifetime Achievement Award, the Johnny Vaught Lifetime Achievement Award, the FCA Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award and the inaugural "Uncommon Award" presented by Tony Dungy. He served as president of the American Football Coaches Association in 2007.
A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Sparks graduated from Carson-Newman in 1968, playing wide receiver for the Eagles. He began his coaching career at the high school level before returning to his alma mater as the head coach. Recognizing his enormous contributions at the school, a street running through the heart of the university was renamed in his honor. Sparks retired following the 2016 season and passed away on March 29, 2017, following a battle with prostate cancer. He was 73.
