Ken Sparks

As the head football coach at Carson–Newman University from 1980 until his retirement in 2016, Ken Sparks became the record-holder for the most wins as a coach in NCAA Division II history. His Carson–Newman Eagles won five NAIA Championships and were three times runners-up in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Sparks was honored with the All-American Football Foundation’s Johnny Vaught Lifetime Achievement Award and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Lifetime Achievement Award and Coach of the Year Award. The late coach pursued a Christian aspect in his coaching and was a popular public speaker.