LITTLE ROCK — It was a nice reprieve.
Over a cup of coffee with Glenn Eskola and Chuck Beale at Mimi’s Cafe, the Arkansas Razorbacks football season was never mentioned.
Both played football, and Eskola won a ton of games as a head football coach, including a state championship at Little Rock Fair, but they now have a different athletic mission: Taking the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to another level in central Arkansas.
They have started Bible studies with some local high school coaches, and they meet with as many people as they can, and so far at least three high schools have started a FCA chapter.
What they are excited about right now is a Fields of Faith concert at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at War Memorial Stadium.
Speakers include former New England Patriots defensive tackle Devin Wyman, former Razorbacks Anthony Lucas and Marvin Delph as well as three very interesting high school players.
North Little Rock running back Altee Tenpenny, Pulaski Academy receiver/defensive end Hunter Henry and Little Rock Hall quarterback Malik Shelton will also speak.
The event includes pizza and live music, so there is a $5 per person charge.
If anyone wants to help cover the costs for young people who may not have $5, they can make a donation to the FCA by calling (501) 209-2578.
Another thing Beale, Eskola and their hardworking board, which has been overhauled, are doing is working to get local kids back into FCA camp each summer.
One thing about the FCA is that you can’t have too much of it, and it starts in the high schools and junior highs with coaches who want to make a difference in young people’s lives.
People in the private sector can make a difference, too, by calling the number above.
Staying away from football for a minute, the top 18 junior tennis players (nine boys and nine girls) from Arkansas won the silver division of the Southern Cup. The Arkansas team has qualified above the bronze level only twice in the past 19 years.
Coached by Travis Johnson of Hot Springs and Miguel Cervantes of Springdale, the team beat Tennessee and Alabama to capture its division.
When you hear discussions about who Jeff Long will hire as the next head football coach at Arkansas, disregard talk of Jon Gruden.
Gruden could have any college job that comes open, and his name is always mentioned, but the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs, where he won a Super Bowl, has not interviewed for a coaching job in years.
Gruden is rumored to annually make $8 million from ESPN and $2 million from EA Sports, and he’s not going to take a 50 percent cut in pay to do 10 times more work.
He’s good on TV and he enjoys it.
He’s not coming to Arkansas.
Besides, he hasn’t recruited since 1989, and then just that one year. Do you really think he wants to do that now?
The answer is no.
To finish up this premature discussion on the UA coaching job, Jeff Long has his work cut out for him, and it gets worse if the Auburn or Tennessee jobs come open.
The talent pool for head coaches who would leave their schools is not very deep.
No doubt Long has a list, and only he knows who is on it and if any of them are successful coordinators.
Oklahoma fans weren’t happy when Bob Stoops was hired, but that worked out pretty good. The same goes for Mark Richt at Georgia.
Remember, too, the report that Long is prepared to make his next coach the highest paid in the country is not being attributed to Long. Until you hear it from his mouth, it is just a rumor.
Sports, Pages 17 on 09/27/2012