"Never Let Go of the Rope!" Coach Hud to Speak in March

Few of us will forget that night in December 2011 when Coach Mark Hudspeth led Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns to a 32-30 win at the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Lucky for LAPL members, Coach Hud will share that same inspiration and motivation at our next luncheon, Thursday, March 29, at the Petroleum Club.

Before signing on with UL in December 2010, Hudspeth spent the 2009 and 2010 season at Mississippi State, where he helped turn around a football program that had only one winning season in a nine-year span.  The Bulldogs finished 2010 with an 8-4 record, earning a Gator Bowl trip vs. Michigan.

Prior to his appointment at Mississippi State, Hudspeth spent seven seasons as the head coach at North Alabama, leading the Lions to a 66-21 record.  UNA won a pair o f Gulf South Conference championships, made five NCAA playoff appearances and boasted 15 All-Americans. 

Attendance increased 122% under Hudspeth, and the team GPA was raised a full point to 2.76 - the highest team GPA in school history.  UNA was ranked for 54 weeks and ranked in the Top 10 for 38 consecutive weeks.  Hudspeth's offense averaged over 35 points per game.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Central Arkansas from 1992-93, winning the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference in 1992. Over the years he has coached and turned around college teams across the country.

As a student-athlete, Hudspeth was a four-year letterman at Delta State from 1987-91.  He was the starting safety in 1990 and led the team in interceptions.  In 1991, he was the starting quarterback.  Hudspeth earned his Bachelor of Arts in Health & Education from Delta State in 1992 and his Master's of Science in Secondary School Administration from Central Arkansas in 1993. 

Hudspeth is married to the former Tyla McConnell, and has two sons, Gunner and Major, and one daughter, Carley. 

Social at 11:30 a.m. ~ Meeting at noon.

Lunch is $15 per person; checks accepted payable to LAPL.

Please RSVP to marthamills22@gmail.com by noon, Wednesday, March 28.

This event qualifies for 1 CE credit by the AAPL.