It’s that time of year again and as fall sports get started, the Bisons football team is coming off the two best season is program history.
New to the program this year is offensive coordinator Matt Underwood, who is familiar with the way things are run here at Harding University.
“This is like home,” Underwood said. “Coming in knowing defensive coordinator Paul Simmons and playing for coach Ronnie Huckeba and coach Clay Beason makes for an easier transition.”
Underwood is a 2003 graduate of Harding and a former teammate of a number of coaches on the Bison staff this year.
After resigning as head coach at Jackson Christian high school in Tennessee, Underwood took an offer to coach at Harding last spring.
Underwood jokingly said out of all the coaches on staff, he was by far the worst football player to have played here.
This will be the Bisons’ third offensive coordinator in the last three years. Coach Kevin Chism and coach Lee Edwards, who are still on staff, were the previous two offensive coordinators.
“I’m just trying to learn from the other guys (coaches) and find out what I can bring to the table,” Underwood said.
Senior offensive lineman Michael Thompson and senior quarterback Keenan Kellett said the same thing to describe coach Underwood: “energetic.”
Kellett said this is the first time they have had a coach that matched Simmons’ type of intensity on the field.
“I think he is a great fit for the style of offensive we run here,” Thompson said. “We have a fast paced, high intensity type offense and his personality fits that description.”
As far as goals for the first year coach, Underwood said it does not really have to do with stats, but more so with the question of, “how do we improve?”
The Bisons’ offense brings back nine senior starters going into the 2014 season. According to Beyond Sports Network, two of those nine, Thompson and senior Romo Westbrook, were named preseason All-Americans.
“I’m looking for those guys to lead us,” Underwood said. “I’m expecting great things from this senior class; this is their last go around.”
Underwood said his role on Saturdays is to be an encourager and a motivator, and that it is really up to the players after that.
Harding is ranked second in the Great American Conference preseason poll, while Henderson State takes the number one spot to begin the season.
The Bisons are coming off back-to-back 9-2 seasons and won the first ever GAC Texarkana Bowl game to end the 2013 season.
The Bisons open their season at home on Sept. 6 at First Security Stadium against the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Bulldogs. This is the second year in a row Harding will meet SWOSU in the season opener, Southwestern won the last meeting 27-23.
“I think my role on game day is fairly small and limited,” Underwood said. “Just making sure to keep our guys in good position and give them the best chance to win.”
To catch live score updates on every regular season game, follow @HUStudentPubs on Twitter.
