There's an air of excitement permeating around the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's J. Thomas May Field House these days, but there's a pretty good reason for that.
It starts and ends with the guy who's charged with leading a resurgence within the Golden Lions' football program.
The energy that Coach Alonzo Hampton brought during his introductory news conference in January hasn't waned. If anything, it's been amplified.
"Oh man, I'm so excited about where we are right now," Hampton said on the eve of his team's final spring practice. "No. 1, the support we've gotten from the community, the support we've gotten from the school, the support throughout the state. ... There's so many people that want to see us do well. Now it's about sharing your vision and telling people what we need to be successful.
"It's about continuing to work and get the things you need from the players. But the excitement around here is high, and we love what we're seeing."
Fans will get the opportunity to see Hampton and his staff in action today at 2 p.m. when UAPB wraps up spring workouts with its annual Black and Gold game at Simmons Bank Field. The event will serve as the 15th and final practice of the season until preparation for the fall begins in the coming months.
But for Hampton, it'll give him another chance to see his players perform in game-like situations.
"The kids have been working hard," he said. "We've got our offense, defense and special teams about 75% installed, and as coaches, we're happy with what we've seen with some of the players. With this finale, we get the opportunity to see them go out, continue to play hard and have fun, which is what we've been preaching since the very first practice."
That initial spring practice on March 14 featured plenty of anticipation. Not only was it the first session for Hampton as a collegiate head coach, but it was also his first with his own staff in place.
In February, Hampton tabbed Bobby Acosta as his offensive coordinator, David Calloway as his defensive coordinator and Kyle Kramer as his special teams coordinator. In March, he also named Steve Wallace as the new offensive line coach. Those hires were specifically designed to help to get the Golden Lions back among the elite in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
UAPB has gone 5-17 since it played for a league title during the spring of 2020. Last season, the Golden Lions finished 3-8, which also led to the midseason firing of then-coach Doc Gamble.
The team did close out on a promising note when it won at Alabama State in the final regular-season game, and from the looks of things, they've carried that momentum over despite losing key players who were being counted on to lead in 2023.
Kayvon Britten, who led the team in rushing with more that 1,000 yards, transferred to Tarleton State, while Rae'Quan Prince, the Golden Lions' leading receiver, left for Southwestern Oklahoma State. Still, that hasn't deterred the returning players or the newcomers from putting their best feet forward under a new regime.
"Pine Bluff has always had really good players," Hampton said. "These young men have come to practice every day and worked hard. From that perspective, they're doing everything that we ask them to do. I'm not surprised about the character kids that we have, but the thing is, we just need to get more of them.
"We've got to be able to recruit some more players, but it's coming. As a coaching staff, we're going to put together good plans and put the guys in positions to be successful."
Hampton said he has been hitting the recruiting trail since he took over. Because of the timing of his hiring, he was able to sign just five players during the traditional signing period in February, but a slew of players have been receiving offers from the Golden Lions. That action is precisely what Hampton said he would do when he was hired.
"Being a first-time head coach, things are sometimes different," he said. "With me, I'm not just on one side of the ball any more. I've got to look at the whole picture. But like I said, I love what we're doing.
"We're not where we need to be, but we're far away from where used to be. [In the spring game], we'll be able to sit back, watch and just kind of evaluate the kids that are out there. We'll be able to say, 'Hey, this guy did this and that', and we'll point out the things that each of them need to do moving forward to help us get back to the championship level that we want to be at."