BASKETBALL
Parker, former Fort Smith coach, dies
Former Fort Smith boys basketball coach Clarence "Ace" Parker died July 5 in Amarillo, Texas. He was 91.
Parker coached Fort Smith's boys basketball team from 1950 to 1955. He compiled an overall record of 106-34 during his five seasons at the school, leading the Grizzlies to two state championships and a runner-up finish. He also led Fort Smith's American Legion baseball team to a state title.
Parker was a veteran of World Word II and played baseball and basketball at Oklahoma A&M, which is now Oklahoma State. He also played baseball one season in the Boston Red Sox organization.
He is survived by his wife, Jane Parker, of Amarillo; daughters Linda Swain of Stratford, Texas, and Melissa Henthorn of Houston; five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Aug. 15 at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Amarillo.
UALR to host opening rounds of Maui Invitational
UALR's Jack Stephens Center will host four games as a part of the Maui Invitational in November, the tournament announced Wednesday. The UALR men's basketball team will play two games as part of the regional and will be joined by Cal State-Northridge, Samford and Missouri-Kansas City on Nov. 22-23.
UALR will play UMKC on Nov. 22, while Samford will play Cal State-Northridge. On Nov. 23, each winner will play each loser of the games on the first day. Start times have yet to be set.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Arkansas announces promotions
The Arkansas athletic department has promoted Justin Maland to associate athletic director for facilities and Mark Taurisani to assistant athletic director for football operations.
Maland, of Harrison, is in his 15th year with the Arkansas athletic department and is on the senior staff for Athletic Director Jeff Long. His primary responsibilities include oversight of all Razorback athletic facilities including budgeting, game day operations, scheduling, upkeep, maintenance, long-range planning, daily facility operations, contracting services with outside vendors and coordination of special events.
Taurisani, who came from Wisconsin with Coach Bret Bielema, is responsible for team logistics and daily operations for the football program, including organizing fall camp, home and road game arrangements for the team, weekly team schedules, bowl game preparations and spring football scheduling and logistics.
Long also announced Wednesday that associate athletics director for business Byron Hatch and associate athletics director for event management and sports administration Chris Pohl have been added to the department's executive staff.
FOOTBALL
Touchdown Club speakers named
The Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club announced its lineup of speakers this fall, starting with former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Greg Schiano on Aug. 20, followed by Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema on Aug. 27.
Former Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt will speak to the club on Sept. 3 and Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long will take the dais on Sept. 10.
The other speakers are Tony Barnhart of CBS Sports on Sept. 24, Springdale native and former Razorback Butch Davis of ESPN on Oct. 8 and former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron on Oct. 15.
Sports on 08/07/2014