WONDER BOYS FOOTBALL NAMES NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND DEFENSIVE LINE COACH

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Steve Mullins announced the addition of Jeff Byrd and Clint Reed to his staff as assistant coaches on Monday.

Byrd will serve as the Wonder Boys defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while Reed will coach the defensive line. Both Byrd and Reed have already started their jobs at Tech.

“I’m excited about the new additions to our football coaching staff,” Mullins said Monday.

Byrd comes to Tech after spending the past four seasons (2005-08) as the defensive coordinator at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark. At SAU, Byrd coached 13 All-Gulf South Conference performers and helped the Muleriders finish 18th nationally this past season in rushing defense (96.8 yards/game). Prior to his tenure at SAU, Byrd spent two seasons (2003-04) as the defensive coordinator at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss. In 2004, Byrd’s defense at NW Mississippi allowed only 212 yards of offense per game and allowed 15.1 points per game, averaging four sacks per contest. His 2003 defense ranked fourth nationally in junior college football in rushing defense (71.6 yards per game), 14th in total defense (237.2 yards/game) and 27th in passing defense (165.6 yards/game). While with the Rangers, Byrd coached former Wonder Boy defensive standouts Jonathan Webster (2005-07) and Andrew Jackson (2004-05).

“I’ve always been impressed with how hard his defenses played at Southern Arkansas,” Mullins said. “Plus, he is an excellent recruiter and is very familiar with the Gulf South Conference.”

In addition to his coaching stints at both SAU and NW Mississippi, Byrd also spent three seasons at Mars Hill College in Mars Hills, North Carolina. At Mars Hill, Byrd, who is a native of Southaven, Miss., spent two years as the offensive line coach (2000-01) and also served as the school’s co-offensive coordinator in 2002. Byrd began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Delta State in 2000 and before that served as the head coach, principal and athletics director at Bayou Academy in Cleveland, Miss., in 1999 and served as a varsity football assistant coach at Washington High School in Greenville, Miss., from 1994-98. While at WHS, Byrd served as the offensive coordinator in 1998 and was the school’s running game coordinator from 1994-97. Byrd, who received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1989, played three seasons as a center with the Golden Eagles Football team and was a member of the school’s 1989 Independence Bowl championship team. As a high school student-athlete, Byrd was a three-year lettermen in both baseball and football at Southaven High School. He is married to the former Pamela Grosche of Bogalusa, La., and the couple have three children, Scott (18), Kris (16) and Mary Katelyn (8).

“I’m excited to be here. Tech was always one of the hardest offenses to prepare for while I was at SAU,” Byrd said. “I look forward to working with Coach Mullins and his staff here. I am also excited to be able to continue working in the GSC, which is the best Division II conference in the country.”

Reed, who is a 2002 Tech graduate, makes a return to his alma mater as an assistant coach after spending the past three years as a defensive coach at Nashville High School in Nashville, Ark. While with the Scrappers, Reed helped the school win consecutive Arkansas Class 4A State Football Championships in 2006 and 2007 and also helped coach the school’s baseball team to its first-ever state title in 2007. Prior to coaching at Nashville, Reed spent one season as the linebackers coach at Tech in 2005 and also served as a graduate assistant coach with the Wonder Boys in 2003 and 2004. Reed also spent one season as an assistant coach at Dover High School, where he helped the Pirates to a 9-2 record and a conference championship.

“Clint is a young man that is part of our Tech family. He played here, coached here and knows the ins-and-outs of our program,” Mullins said. “He returns to Tech after coaching the past several years at a very successful high school program in Nashville.

“He also brings a great amount of enthusiasm to the job.”

Before getting into coaching, Reed, who is a native of Nashville, Ark., was a four-year lettermen and starter with the Wonder Boys as an offensive lineman. He was part of Tech’s 1999 GSC Championship team that earned the school’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. As a high school student-athlete, Reed, who received his master’s degree in education in 2005 from Tech, earned four letters with the Scrappers in both football and baseball. Was named a three-time All-Conference selection in both football and baseball and earned All-State honors as a pitcher. He is married to the former Elizabeth Ferguson of St. Louis, Mo., and the couple has a son, Tanner (1).

“I’m excited to be back at Tech and working with Coach Mullins. It is always a good feeling to be able to work at your alma mater and I’ve been able to do that twice,” Reed said. “Russellville is like my second home and I couldn’t be happier to be back here.”

-- Tech Athletics --