The 2013 campaign will be the sixth for Northeastern State football coach Kenny Evans. He was named head coach in 2008 after 28 years as an assistant coach at six other universities. During that span, Evans coached in six bowl games, two national playoffs and was part of a coaching staff that won eight conference championships. His ninth conference championship was added in 2010 as the RiverHawks posted their first winning season in 10 years. He owns a winning record (17-16) in his last three seasons after starting 3-19 in his first two campaigns.
In 2012, Evans guided Northeastern State through its first season as members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The RiverHawks started slow against the premier competition, but they finished strong by winning their last four games to end the year at 4-6. The team boasted nine all-conference performers and one all-american in offensive tackle Michael Bowie. Bowie also became just the 10th player in NSU history (and the first since 1992) to be selected in the NFL draft when the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the seventh round.
Evans led NSU to its second-consecutive winning campaign in 2011 as the team posted a 7-5 mark as an independent, which included a six-game win streak and a trip to the Mineral Water Bowl against Minnesota State University. The 2011 team was one of the most successful in school history, as the RiverHawks recorded 30 team and individual school records. Evans has coached or recruited nine All-Americans, 11 conference players of the year, more than a dozen who have made it into the National Football League, as well as numerous All-Conference players at seven different colleges.
Before taking the NSU job, Evans coached linebackers at Louisiana Tech for Derek Dooley in 2008. In 2005, he was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by the Football Foundation while coaching at the University of North Texas on the staff of Darrell Dickey.
While at North Texas, Evans had phenomenal success as the assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive coordinator. He helped build that program to its greatest success where the Mean Green won 38 conference games in a row, four conference championships and qualified for four bowl games. During that stretch, Evans’ defenses were nationally-ranked in most statistical categories, a feat also accomplished at Missouri Southern and Southeastern Oklahoma.
The Warner, Okla., native and Northeastern State graduate began his coaching career at Miami (Okla.) High School in 1981 before joining the college ranks as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma for Barry Switzer and the Sooners. Afterwards, he followed long-time Sooner offensive coordinator Galen Hall to the University of Florida where he coached wide receivers for the Gators for one year.
His coaching career took him on a 12-year run with the late Jon Lantz to Southeastern Oklahoma and later to Missouri Southern. As defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, Evans helped rebuild both program to national prominence before joining Dickey at North Texas.
Evans is making good on his promise to return Northeastern State to the glory years of the past, exemplified by the back-to-back winning seasons in 2010-11, the 2010 LSC North championship and the 2011 record-breaking campaign.
Evans has a 15-year-old son, Elliott, who plays football, basketball and the violin.
Evans’ Year-By-Year Record as a collegiate head coach
|
Year |
School |
W-L |
|
2012 |
Northeastern State |
4-6 |
|
2011 |
Northeastern State |
7-5 |
|
2010 |
Northeastern State |
6-5 |
|
2009 |
Northeastern State |
2-9 |
|
2008 |
Northeastern State |
1-10 |
