In six seasons as head football coach at the University of North Alabama, Mark Hudspeth has helped revive the Lion program and put UNA back on the map as a perennial force in the Gulf South Conference and the NCAA Division II.

In his first six seasons at UNA, Hudspeth has posted the best record of any previous Lion head coach in their first six years - leading the Lions to a 54-19 mark, two Gulf South Conference titles and four NCAA Division II playoff appearances.

Over the last five years, UNA has the winningest college football team in the state of Alabama with a 50-12 record.

Last season Hudspeth led UNA to a 10-2 record, marking just the second time in school history that the Lions had won 10 or more games in three straight seasons. The Lions also made their third straight playoff appearance and fourth in the last five seasons, reaching the quarterfinals.

With a No. 6 ranking in the final 2007 Division II poll, Hudspeth has seen his teams rank in the Top 6 in the final Division II rankings four times in the last five years, finishing fifth in 2003, foruth in 2005 and sixth in 2006 and 2007.

In 2006 the Lions had an 11-1 record, won a GSC title and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs.  Hudspeth was selected Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year for the second time by his peers and was also selected Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.

In 2005, Hudspeth led a UNA squad that went 11-3 and reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs for the second time in three years. Along the way the Lions broke 44 school and six Gulf South Conference records, with four Lions earning All-American honors. Lion receiver Anthony Merritt was also a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy and Lion offensive lineman Lance Ancar won the Rimington Trophy as the top center in Division II.

In just his second season as a collegiate head coach in 2003, Hudspeth fashioned one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NCAA Division II football history and led UNA within one game of playing for the national championship. Hudspeth became the seventh head football coach in UNA history in 2002 and inherited a program that had won three previous national championships and had been the winningest school in the state of Alabama in the 1980s and 1990s, but was riding a three-year losing streak.

The Lions went 4-7 in Hudspeth's first season, then kicked into high gear in 2003 with a 13-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals. Hudspeth's 2003 Lions won the school's seventh Gulf South Conference championship and became the first team in school history to win 11 regular- season games. For his efforts, Hudspeth was named GSC Coach of the Year in just his second season as a collegiate head coach. He was also selected NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and was named National Coach of the Year by American Football Quarterly, Football Gazette and by CollegeSportsReport.com.

The Lions also had a school-record 13 players selected for the All-Gulf South Conference team, five players received All-American honors and and Lion quarterback Will Hall won the Harlon Hill Trophy as NCAA Division II Player of the Year. In 2003 the Lions broke 37 school records, three Gulf South Conference records and two NCAA Division II National records. In 2004 UNA spent eight weeks in the Division II Top 25 before finishing the season at 5-5. UNA climbed as high as No. 6 in the nation in the polls.

Previous Coaching Experience:

* Prior to coming to UNA he was the offensive coordinator at the United States Naval Academy in 2001.

* He served as the offensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach at Delta State University from 1999-2000. He helped lead the Statesmen to a Gulf South Conference Championship as well as an NCAA Division II National Championship in 2000. His offense broke 21 school records, 12 Gulf South Conference records, and six NCAA Division II records that year. The offense was led by Conerly Trophy winner Josh Bright.

* In 1998-99, he was the defensive back coach and the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Central Arkansas.

* Hudspeth served as the head coach at Winston Academy in Louisville, Mississippi from 1996 to 1998. He led Winston Academy to a 25-1 record over two seasons including an undefeated record in the regular season (20-0) and the conference (12-0). In 1997 he won the state championship with a perfect 14-0 record and his team led the state in scoring that year. He was named Mississippi Coach of the Year in 1997.  He won conference championships in 1996 and 1997.

* In 1994-95 Hudspeth served as the wide receiver/tight ends coach and then the running back coach at Nicholls State University . He helped lead the team to a no. 5 ranking in NCAA I-AA in rushing.

* Hudspeth was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Central Arkansas from 1992-93. He was the wide receiver and quarterback coach and assistant strength coach. He helped lead the Bears to an Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference Championship with a 9-2-1 record. They reached the semifinals of the NAIA playoffs.

Playing Experience:

He was a four-year letterman at Delta State University from 1987-91. He was the starting free safety in 1990 and led the team in interceptions. In 1991 he was the starting quarterback.

Education: 

Received his Master of Science in Education degree from Central Arkansas in 1993. He received his Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Delta State University in 1992. 

Personal:

Born on November 10, 1968 in Montgomery, Alabama. He is married to the former Tyla McConnell, has one son, Gunner (11), and one daughter, Carley (8).

Overall Record: 54-19

At Home: 29-8

On the Road: 25-12

In NCAA Playoffs: 7-4

vs. Nationally Ranked Teams: 16-8

in GSC Games 38-14

vs. GSC Schools 43-16

vs. Non-Conference 11-3