THE END AND THE BEGINNING T hi~year marked head footba l I coach Ronnie Huckeba\ last season with the Bisons. Huckeba aid his 3 1 years orcoaching for Harding made a great impact on hi lif'c. ··1 loYe Harding,·· Huckeba said. "Harding has changed my life. o much, so the opportunity to be ofservice lO this uni\·ersity I lo\'C means so much Lo me." Harding's football program thrived over the past years because or Huckeba\ coaching style and ability, Director or Athletics Greg Harnden said. "\\'e\-c steadily gotten better,'' Harnden said. '·He brought our program to the point where we're qualifying for the l'\CAA playoffs. He has a unique talent to motivate kids and speak to their needs.'' ,\ssi Lant football coach and def"ensi\'C coordinator Paul immons formally accepted Hu keba's position arter the 2016 season ended. Simmons fi rst played football under Hu keba as a freshman in 1990 hcfore later starting a coaching career and becoming Harding's defensive coordinator and assistant coach. According to Simmons, Huckeba saw past his lack of" ·cir-confidence early on a nd formed a relationship with him that exceeded any ordinary bond between a coach and player. "At the rnd of" that first year, he brought me in for an end-of-year review, and I felt like I had failed and anticipated being told it wasn't going to work out," Simmons said. "Instead of aying any of those things, he said, ·You need to know the sky's the limit for you, and you can be as good as any we've ever had here.' That conversation changed my life." B_v Brilla,~y 'imm Huckeba said hi relation hip and daily interaction with Simmons ga,·e him nothing but confidence in passing his title or head football coach down to him. "I couldn't reel any better about anything," Huckeba said. ··He's a fantastic leader, and that's what this position needs." Simmons said he wa. shocked and nervous, but also thrilled to take Huckeba·s place. "I'm excited about where this program i headed," Simmons said. ''I think there's room for growth and opportunity for u to keep taking things higher and rai ing the bar in every arena." Simmons said his main goals were to continue a legacy or leaders who put Christian values before football, and lead players to be men of God arter they leave Harding. "\,\'hen it comes to the things that matter mentoring young men, helping young men become the right kind of"father and husbands and Christian servants that bar has been .ct high," Simmon said. ':Just making sure we don't let that standard go anywhere but up is a challenge and super important to me." According to Simmons, Huckeba played an important role in Harding f°oOLball's legacy of"leading coaches and in.pi red ma ny throughout his career. However, Huckeba said he wa the one who was most rewarded during his time at Harding. "It's been my life's work," Huckeba said. "I am the one who has been blessed. I have been very lucky to do what I've gotten to do here." The Bisons' ojfensii'e line goes up against Arkansas Tech Cni1'ersif)' 011 .\"ov. 12. al the Firs/ Security Bank /adium. Harding completed an unjnecedenled 11 -0 finish in conference pla_)'. \ Photo by Ka;:_u Fujisawa As.1i.1tanl coach and defensive coordinator Paul Simmons interacts with pla_)'ers in the game against Hender.ion late University in Arkadelphia. Arkansa.1. 011 Oct. 8. Si111111on.1 look 01·er a.1 head coach following head coach Ronnie Hudeba·.1 retirement al !he end of the 2016 srn.1011. \ Photo courte.~)' of Jejf ,\fo ntgomer_J' Head coach Ronnie Huckeba, senior linebaker Daylan Skidmore and senior running back Dwayne Carter lead the "Walk of Brothers" before the season opener against Oklahoma Baptist University on Sept. 3, at the First Security Bank Stadium. Huckeba retired following the 2016 season, after 10 seasons as the Bisons' head coach. \ Photo by Ka{u Fujisawa ).J.8 ), .\Tl 11. 1-:TIC\
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