Sometimes, it is not the individuals themselves who tell their story of honor and glory, but others who do the telling for them.
Ouachita’s head football coach never had to say a word when the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) chose him as the newest Division II representative on the board of trustees.
All he had to do was be the man of integrity and character that he proved to be on and off the field.
Todd Knight received a phone call in late December; it was a member on the board of the AFCA notifying him of Knight’s nomination within the reputable organization.
“It’s one of those things, when you are experienced and your reputation speaks for itself, and you are of high character, people are going to look for you to serve in positions that will help in organizations like this one,” said Ouachita Athletic Director David Sharp.
Traveling to Nashville, Tenn., the football coach attended the conference where he accepted the position he had been nominated for as one of two Division II representatives on the board of trustees.
“All the head coaches at your level can nominate one person, and whoever gets the most nominations, those two or three names are who they can present to the board, and then the board will choose who they want out of those nominations,” Knight explained. “They do that at all levels, and that is the nomination process.”
The American Football Coaches Association is a long-time running organization containing more than 10,000 of the nation’s college football coaches. Every division is represented, as well as athletic associations.
The group meets every year and works on promoting the sport as well as the coaches.
Also, the association has a hand in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Coaches Poll that determines what teams will end up in the national championship each year.
Another responsibility is the top 25 poll for Division II and Division III.
“I think he will serve them well, and they will be very pleased that he’s on there,” Sharp said. “He is a great listener, but he’s also a great speaker. I’m thrilled to death for Coach Knight. It’s another example of what he brings to the table from a standpoint of a football coach and as a person.”
The AFCA looks for coaches who stand out in their league and division, and who will represent their school, conference, division and sport well.
“Just like any organization, they’re going to look for someone with very good character, from a standpoint of their reputation, how they handle themselves,” said Sharp. “There is no doubt that Coach Knight is irrefutable with his character and his reputation, and he is well respected amongst coaches in all divisions.
“He has been coaching the game since 1986, that’s a long time.”
Sharp had nothing but positives to say about the OBU coach.
“He’s a great football coach, he’s very knowledgeable, very well-respected, he’s just a very good man, with very good character and very good morals, great Christian leader.”
