Henderson State Reddies football

Henderson State Reddies football
First season1905; 120 years ago (1905)
Athletic directorShawn Jones
Head coachGreg Holsworth
1st season, 8–2 (.800)
StadiumCarpenter-Haygood Stadium
(capacity: 15,000)
Field surfaceGeoGreen
LocationArkadelphia, Arkansas
ConferenceGreat American Conference
Conference titles15
RivalriesOuachita Baptist
Consensus All-Americans25
ColorsRed and gray[1]
   
Fight songThat Old Reddie Spirit
Marching bandThe Showband of Arkansas
WebsiteReddie Athletics
For information on all Henderson State University sports, see Henderson State Reddies

The Henderson State Reddies football program is a college football team that represents Henderson State University. The team is a member of the Great American Conference which is in the Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are currently coached by Scott Maxfield, who is in his seventh year at the university. Home games are played at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.[2] Henderson State shares the longest rivalry in Division II football with Ouachita Baptist Tigers, the Battle of the Ravine, which began in 1895. Gus Malzahn, deemed the father of the Hurry Up, No Huddle offense played wide receiver for the Reddies, and is one of their most famous alumni.

Head coaches

Main article: List of Henderson State Reddies head football coaches

The Henderson State Reddies have had 18 head coaches since they began play in 1905.[3]

The team has played 1,028 games in 116 seasons of Reddie football. In that time, Scott Maxfield led the Reddies to four postseason bowl games. Seven coaches have won conference championships: Bo Rowland, Bo Sherman, Duke Wells, Jim Mack Sawyer, Clyde Berry, Sporty Carpenter, and Scott Maxfield. Jimmy Haygood also claimed four Arkansas state championships.

Sporty Carpenter is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 119 victories during his 19 years at Henderson. J.H. Lassiter has the highest winning percentage with .833. Patrick Nix has the lowest winning percentage with .136.

The current head coach is Greg Holsworth, who was hired in 2024.

Playoff appearances

NAIA

The Reddies made two appearances in the NAIA playoffs, with a combined record of 1–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
1974 Quarterfinals Elon L, 7–21
1985 Quarterfinals
Semifinals 		Central State (OK)
Central Arkansas 		W, 18–15
L, 9–21

NCAA Division II

The Reddies have made four appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 1–4.

Year Round Opponent Result
2012 Regional semifinals Missouri Western L, 21–45
2013 First round St. Cloud State L, 35–40
2015 First round
Regional semifinals 		Sioux Falls
Emporia State 		W, 23–16
L, 3–29
2023 First round Central Missouri L, 14–56

Rivalries

Ouachita Baptist Tigers

Main article: Battle of the Ravine

Hendrix College Bulldogs

Hendrix College, then known as the Bulldogs, was Henderson's main athletics rival during its early years (1905-1929). After Henderson transitioned from a private Methodist college to a state college in 1929, differences in enrollment numbers and conference affiliations led to the decline of the rivalry.

References

  1. ^ "Henderson State University Visual Identity and Brand Standards". Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "Henderson State Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "FOOTBALL RECORD BOOK NEW SUMMER 2020 UPDATE (PDF)" (PDF). Henderson State University Athletics. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
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