Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
UCA stuck in neutral despite spring activity
Nathan Brown likes to be a planner. Most in the coaching profession are naturally the same way.
But lately the University of Central Arkansas football coach has met his antithesis — unpredictability.
With the recent coronavirus outbreak, nothing in the future is certain. The Bears’ spring camp was shut down halfway through, and now the season in the fall is on shaky footing.
“I know at least in my case, in my program, I try to plan a year in advance, and you try to stay to that structured program,” Brown told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
“And when something like this happens, it throws it off.”
Brown is like any other college football coach around the country these days — just trying to make sure his players are in good spirits, stay in shape and stay on top of schoolwork. Brown is spending a lot more time at home surrounded by his wife and two kids — one is 7, the other is 5.
He said he still ventures to his office next to Estes Stadium frequently to get work done, and plenty of time each week is spent checking up on his coaches and players. Brown and his staff have discovered Zoom for video conferencing, and they meet collectively once a week.
“My day is not real structured,” Brown said. “I may spend three hours working at 7 in the morning or I may spend three hours, four hours working at 7 at night, just depending on the day. It’s been an interesting transition — something I’m not a huge fan of, but I’ve adjusted to and making it work.”
His players are adjusting to new routines, too, although Brown said a considerable portion of the roster is still in Conway. The days are no longer consumed by physically going to class — everything is online as the semester winds down — and organized team workouts won’t be happening again any time soon.
Everyone is essentially on their own, but no one is viewing it that way.
“Just going from you actually see guys and being around them every day, and then going and then just not really having that type of relationship, just the more hands-on relationship, that’s definitely been different,” redshirt junior quarterback Breylin Smith said. “I definitely feel our team’s really close, and we have a lot of fun together. But the main thing now has just been trying to reach out to guys, stay in contact, just check in and make sure everybody’s doing good.”
The only difference for
Brown and his team is that UCA was able to get out and practice a number of times before the pandemic forced the sports world to a standstill.
The Bears conducted eight practices, seven shy of the 15 allowed by the NCAA each spring. Up in the northeastern part of the state, Arkansas State University, was able to practice 11 times.
UCA and ASU were in the minority nationally, though, when it came spring camp.
Other Division I football schools in their own state weren’t as fortunate. The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff practiced just once, and the University of Arkansas wasn’t able to practice at all.
“When we planned that,” Brown said, “I don’t know that we knew that that was gonna be an advantage to this year, but it definitely ended up being that way.”
As best he could remember, it was the first time in Brown’s career, either as a player or coach, that he’d started practice that early. UCA’s first practice was March 2.
Even with camp getting shut down two weeks in, Brown said the team was able to install about 75% of its offense and defense.
“I would feel differently if we didn’t get any spring practices in,” UCA offensive coordinator Ken Collums said. “I’m fired up about where we are. We got a lot of returners where you really need returners.
We’ve been looking forward to this year for a while. We’ve kind of known for a little bit, hey, we may have something really good in 2020, and I’m just hoping we get to do it.”
UCA is coming off a 9-4 season in which it claimed a share of the Southland Conference championship and a second-round berth in the Divison I FCS playoffs.
Next season, the team returns its star quarterback in Smith, multiple key wide receivers and nearly the entire defense.
Brown was practically giddy when discussing the outlook for next season’s team.
“I really like the makeup of this team. It’s really one of the better senior classes I think we could have here in the Division 1 era,” Brown said. “I’m excited to continue to see these guys grow. I’m just hoping and praying that the 2020 season will be able to be played. What that’s gonna look like, I don’t know yet, but definitely crossing my fingers that we’ll be able to put this product on the field because I think it’s gonna
be pretty good.”
But the 2020 season continues to remain a mystery, as professional sports leagues and NCAA conferences and schools contemplate both when and what it will take to resume competition.
College football, considering its financial influence on the institution of collegiate athletics, is facing a serious conundrum.
Brown said he’s in favor of playing games even if they are delayed into next spring, but he also admitted there would be plenty of logistical obstacles. He also said he’d be open to playing games without fans if it becomes necessary.
But for now, Brown is preparing as if nothing will change.
“I’m gonna have optimism until I’m told otherwise,” Brown said. “I know we’ve got an Aug. 29 scheduled game against Austin Peay that’s gonna be the FCS kickoff on ESPN, Week Zero, and it’s gonna be the game of the week. We’re gonna prepare as if we’re gonna play that game, and until we hear otherwise that’s kind of my approach.”