State sports briefs

Arkansas State brings in Pittman as strength coach

Arkansas State Coach Bryan Harsin made his first staff hire Wednesday, naming Jeff Pittman as the Red Wolves’ strength and conditioning coach.

Pittman worked at Western Carolina the past three seasons, but his ties to Harsin date to their time at Boise State from 2000 until 2006, when Pittman headed up the Broncos’ strength program.

“I was thoroughly impressed with his training program and how he communicated with the staff and players,” Harsin said in a university news release. “He will be a great addition to our program, and his extensive experience will help us produce positive results that will have a big impact on our team’s performance.”

Before arriving in January 2010 at Western Carolina, Pittman oversaw speed-strength conditioning at Colorado under former Coach Dan Hawkins, whom he followed after he left Boise State. Over five years, Pittman’s duties extended beyond football to all of Colorado’s varsity sports.

Pittman’s first full-time job came in 1995 as strength coach at Montana State, directing programs for football, women’s skiing and women’s track for two years. In 1997, he left for San Jose State to supervise training programs for all of the Spartans’ athletic teams.

He came back to Boise State in 1999 and began working with Harsin a year later when the former Broncos quarterback returned to serve as a graduate assistant under Hawkins.

Pittman graduated from Boise State with a degree in health promotion in 1993 and worked as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for Minnesota. He earned his master’s degree in education from Minnesota in the spring of 1995.

ASU assistant headed to Auburn

Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn has hired Arkansas State’s J.B. Grimes to coach the offensive line.

Grimes has more than 30 years of college experience and held the same post for Malzahn last season in Jonesboro. Auburn announced the hiring Wednesday.

Grimes’ most recent stops before Arkansas State included stints at Kansas (2010-2011) and Mississippi State (2004-2008). He also has worked at East Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Arkansas.

UCA adds three transfers

Central Arkansas Coach Clint Conque announced the signing of three midyear transfers Wednesday.

The Bears’ signees included wide receiver Justin Burdette of Southern Mississippi, offensive lineman Jordan Kersh of Hinds Community College and safety Bobby Watkins, a transfer from Air Force Academy who redshirted at UCA this fall.

Watkins, 6-1, 204 pounds, practiced with the Bears this fall after transferring. He played 10 games for the Air Force Prep School in 2011 .

Kersh, 6-4, 290, was a two-time Mississippi Junior College Conference All-State selection.

Burdette, 6-2, 202, played in eight games as a true freshman at Southern Miss, where he had 8 receptions for 70 yards and 4 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.

UCA’s Howard earns more honors

Central Arkansas offensive lineman Corey Howard has been named a firstteam Walter Camp Football Foundation FCS All-American on Wednesday.

Howard, from Wichita Falls, Texas, was the 2012 Southland Conference offensive lineman of the year after helping the Bears average 400 yards of total offense per game this season en route to a 9-3 record and a secondround playoff appearance.

Howard was a three-year starter for the Bears and played in 46 career games.

He also has been named an FCS All-American by The Sports Network and The Associated Press.

  • Democrat-Gazette Press Services Bentonville back commits to Memphis

Bentonville tailback Tearris Wallace, a member of the 2012 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas team, orally committed Wednesday to Memphis.

Wallace, 5-10, 211 pounds, ran 297 times for 1,777 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, helping the Tigers reach the Class 7A state championship game.

Wallace was the Democrat-Gazette Sophomore Offensive Player of the Year and finished as the leading rusher in 7A-West history (4,693 yards).

Bentonville All-Arkansas linebacker Garrett Kaufman signed Wednesday with Arkansas State and will enroll in January. He finished with 129 tackles this fall, including 87 unassisted.

Sports, Pages 15 on 12/20/2012

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