JONESBORO — After back-to-back losing seasons, Arkansas State Coach Steve Roberts resigned Monday, bringing a change to a Red Wolves football program that reached the cusp of winning seasons in nine years but could not break through.
In a Monday afternoon news conference, ASU Athletic Director Dean Lee announced the move, which came after a 45-minute morning meeting with Roberts to review the season.
“This was a very difficult day,” said Lee at the start of the news conference, which Roberts did not attend. “It was emotional at times where we’re at and where we want to go. Steve is a very good person, a good man and a class individual.”
The move comes two days after the Red Wolves lost 31-24at Florida International, wrapping up a three-game losing skid to end a second consecutive 4-8 year and the sixth losing season of Roberts’ tenure in Jonesboro.
Roberts broke the news to his players and staff around 3p.m. Monday.
“My message to players and coaches was that I’m extremely grateful for the effort they put forth helping this program achieve,” Roberts said in a news release. “ ‘Continue to believe and give great effort in the classroom, present yourself in a way that leads to a positive image, prepare to win in all aspects of life and good things will happen.’ ”
Lee said the school had reached a financial settlement with Roberts, who earned $140,000 in 2009, but did not disclose the terms or compensation because the private Red Wolves booster club funded the package. He also said no interim coach had been named but he anticipates doing so in the next few days.
“We had a settlement with Coach Roberts we feel good with for him,” Lee said.
When asked if Roberts was forced to resign, Lee said that Roberts agreed to leave.
“As we had dialogue and discussion, there were a lot of options we had and that was one of them, and Steve agreed to submit his resignation,” Lee said.
After Roberts met with players and coaches, Lee told those attending their focus should remain on short-term goals, such as doing well on their finals, while the athletic administration seeks a replacement.
“We are going forward with the program,” Lee said he told players. “There was a lot of love in there for Coach Roberts, a lot of emotion, but they are in college athletics and understand the situation.”
While not against promoting an assistant coach, Lee said he would like to conduct a national search for a new head coach, adding that there is “no timeline or deadline” for a hire.
“Experience has told me going through this process in the past that it can have a life of its own,” he said. “We will move with a sense of urgency, but won’t get in any hurry.”
During his remarks, Lee said the program is looking for a coach with experience at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, who is familiar with the state and “can broaden and expand recruiting and increase our teams visibility on all levels.”
Early names mentioned for the position include North Alabama Coach Terry Bowden, current Arkansas State offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze and Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton, a source close to the program said.
Mirroring his tenure, Roberts’ departure occurred after an up-and-down season. Before their end-of-season free fall, the Red Wolves were in contention for the Sun Belt Conference title with a 4-2 league record entering their final three games against Western Kentucky, Navy and Florida International.
But the Hilltoppers, who finished 2-10 and last in the Sun Belt, dealt a crippling blow with an 36-35 overtime victory Nov. 13 in Jonesboro.
The sputtering end stands in contrast to the apex reached five years earlier by Roberts, who finished with a 45-63 overall record.
In 2005, the Red Wolves won the Sun Belt and made the program’s first and only postseason appearance: a loss to Southern Mississippi at the New Orleans Bowl. The defeat also denied the 46-year-old Little Rock native his chance at a winning season, putting ASU’s record at 6-6 - one of three times the program would finish .500.
“He came in and inherited a difficult situation,” Lee said. “We were on six coaches in 13 years when he got here. There were many bright spots in his career to cheer about.”
Arkansas State’s defining victory came in 2008 at Texas A&M. It was the school’s first over a school from a BCS conference since making the jump from the Football Championship Subdivision in 1992.
“I am certainly proud of a lot of positive things that have occurred over the last nine years,” Roberts said. “From a competitive and academic standpoint to the retention of kids and the development of relationships, we made tremendous strides in a lot of areas that I’m very proud of.” Information for this article was contributed by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette staff writer Matthew Harris and the Associated Press.
Sports, Pages 17 on 11/30/2010