SPRINGDALE -- Brian Early can't remember the last time he had a day off from work, not that he's complaining.
Early, in his first year as defensive line coach at Arkansas State, has been on a nonstop hustle and bustle tour with the Red Wolves since accepting his new position in January. From recruiting, followed by spring practice to a recent whirlwind set of ASU team camps, Early is diving in headfirst in his first season of full-time Division I college coaching.
Profile
Brian Early
School: Arkansas State
Position: Defensive line coach
Notable: Spent four seasons as Fayetteville defensive coordinator from 2009-12. … Worked as defensive quality control assistant at Arkansas in 2013. … Previous coaching stops at Central Arkansas (2004-08), Minnesota State-Mankato (2002-03), West Memphis High (2001) and Arkansas-Monticello (1999-2000). … Brother of Rogers High girls basketball coach Preston Early and Bentonville softball coach Kent Early.
"When we got in (to Jonesboro), it was a couple of weeks before signing day," Early said. "So we had a couple of recruiting weekends before signing day, and then we jumped right into spring practice. We haven't had an off day yet, and it will happen when we get done with the camps.
"But Blake (Anderson) is a family guy. I've known him for six or seven years, and I knew what I was getting into when I got in here with him. He's going to give me some family time, and he's a really good one to work for. But I'm looking for some time away, that's for sure. It's been a grind so far."
Anderson, the first-year head coach at Arkansas State, hired Early away from Arkansas where he spent one season as a defensive quality control coach. Early, who had been at Fayetteville as defensive coordinator the previous four years from 2009 to 2012, was willing to take a pay cut to re-enter the college coaching profession as a quality control assistant.
The move quickly paid off.
"He was a guy right out of the gate I knew, if they ended up being interested in me, that I wanted to have," Anderson said. "He's got a great reputation in the state, both through high school and collegiate stops that he's made. He's played and grown up here, and to me, it was real easy to make that phone call and I'm just real happy his wife and family chose to come be a part of it."
Early and his fellow ASU coaches were at Springdale Har-Ber on Sunday for the latest camp tour across the south.
"We're doing 14 camps in 12 days, and this is the eighth one in eight days. It's kind of a unique deal," Early said. "The SEC schools can't do this, and we're taking advantage of the rules with traveling camps and even having some camps outside of our state.
"We have evaluated a ton of prospects. There wasn't a lot of kids here today, and that was by design. There were specific guys invited, and there were some guys that got offered out of this camp. So it was a positive day for us."
Early was defensive coordinator at Fayetteville for both Class 7A state championship seasons in 2011 and 2012, coaching current Razorbacks Brooks Ellis and Alex Brignoni. Now, his job is to search the state and beyond for future Red Wolves who will help lead ASU to even greater heights in the future.
"I was born in the Southeast corner of the state; I've worked in the Northeast corner at West Memphis and in the Northwest corner at Fayetteville. I know people from every corner of the state, and I think no doubt that had something to do with Blake giving me a job," Early said. "He wanted somebody who knew the lay of the land, and I've got that Northwest corner down into the river valley. So it's been great to get out this spring and see some of my friends in coaching. And I love to be back in this area of the state. It was exciting for me to get back over here today."
Sports on 06/10/2014