UAPB’s head coach has been waiting more than a decade for an opportunity that could unfold Thursday night when his team takes on Arkansas to open the 2024 season.
With stops ranging from high schools to Group of Five schools and even Power Four programs, Alonzo Hampton has bided his time climbing the coaching ranks.
Indeed, the Golden Lions knocking off the Razorbacks would be one of the greatest David-over-Goliath slayings in the history of the sport. He’s been patiently waiting for more than a chance to spring an upset that would send shockwaves through the college football world, though.
In an interview Monday on Drive Time Sports, the evening show on 103.7 The Buzz in Little Rock, Hampton said Bobby Petrino still has his old playbook from a job interview to join his staff following the 2012 season — and joked that he’d like to get it back.
The story was shared in good nature, but it all started when Petrino returned to the head coaching ranks at Western Kentucky, taking over for the departing Willie Taggart.
“When we left Western Kentucky, I was on the Coach Taggart staff,” said Hampton, who had been the Hilltoppers’ defensive backs coach from 2011-12. “We left and went to the University of South Florida. Coach Petrino actually came after us and took that job. And so I interviewed with him for the defensive back job and he still has my defensive back playbook, and I need it back.”
Rather than remaining at Western Kentucky and joining Petrino’s staff, Hampton ended up spending a couple of years in the high school ranks as a defensive backs coach at Tift County High in Georgia before reuniting with Taggart at South Florida in 2015.
The Arkansas native has coached in college ever since, with his winding journey eventually leading him back to his home state. Now in his second year at UAPB, he’ll be strolling the sidelines of the same field as Petrino at War Memorial Stadium.
Of course, Hampton now has bigger things to worry about — like improving upon last year’s 2-9 record, which starts with trying to slow down Petrino’s offense as a 48.5-point underdog.
“Coach Petrino is one of the best offensive coordinators in America at any level,” Hampton told co-hosts Randy Rainwater and Ray Tucker. “He’s been doing it a long time and all you got to do is just know that he sees the game different from everybody else. So that’s why everybody in this state is so excited about the Razorbacks, because he’s back.”
It’s also worth noting that Hampton is a bit biased, even having never worked with Petrino. He’s from Warren and his first job was as the defensive coordinator at Warren High from 2000-03.
That school clearly still holds a special place in his heart, so he probably enjoyed seeing the success of Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and Chris Gragg — three 2008 graduates of Warren High — shine in Petrino’s offense while he was the head coach at Arkansas.
“He took three Warren Lumberjacks and gave them an opportunity and they all ended up playing in the NFL,” Hampton said. “So I got nothing but a ton of respect for him.”
Other Razorback Connections
Bobby Petrino isn’t the only Arkansas football coach Alonzo Hampton has crossed paths with during his career. In fact, he said on The Buzz that he actually knows four or five of them “really well.”
That includes living next door to Marcus Woodson, the Razorbacks’ co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, in Tallahassee.
“Coach Woodson, he was my neighbor when I was at Florida State,” Hampton said. “He bought the house right next to me. He was the first one to offer my son who’s a corner at Clemson, so I got a lot of respect for him.”
Some of that timeline might be off a bit, as he coached for the Seminoles in 2018 and Woodson didn’t arrive until 2020, but it would make sense if Hampton still had a house in Tallahassee, Fla. because his son went to high school at Florida State University School and graduated this spring.
His son is also how he knows defensive coordinator Travis Williams. Although now he’s at Clemson, Ashton Hampton was a high three-star recruit in the Class of 2024 and actually took an official visit to Arkansas last summer before picking the Tigers.
“Have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach T-Will,” Hampton said. “I had a chance, my son went on an official visit there. I’ve been knowing him a long time.”
Then, of course, there’s the one year Hampton spent with the Arkansas football staff.
After being let go as Florida State’s special teams coordinator following the 2018 season, Hampton returned to the Natural State and worked under Chad Morris as a defensive quality control coach.
He actually overlapped some with head coach Sam Pittman, too, and remembers a few of Arkansas’ key players – including the two sixth-year seniors who are the only holdovers from the previous staff.
“I worked with him for about three weeks and helped him recruit,” Hampton said. “I tell people Landon Jackson, I remember sitting there talking to him and his mom, but he went to LSU and he came back, so I’m happy for him. Hudson Clark was there with us and (Eric) Gregory was there. So I feel like I’m coming home.”
Kickoff of the Arkansas vs UAPB game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT in Little Rock and it will be televised on ESPNU.
See our latest here on Arkansas football here:
How to Watch Arkansas vs UAPB
Date: Thursday, Aug. 29
Location: War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock, Ark.)
Kickoff time (TV): 6:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Commentators: Jay Alter (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst)
ESPN FPI: Arkansas has a 99.0% chance to win.
Odds/Betting Line: Arkansas, -49.5 | O/U 57.5 (BetSaracen)
UAPB Football Coach Alonzo Hampton
This is Alonzo Hampton’s second year in charge of the UAPB football program. The Golden Lions went 2-9 in his first season. Here’s a look at his full resume:
- 2000-03: Warren (Ark.) High School (defensive coordinator)
- 2004-05: Dumas (Ark.) High School (head coach)
- 2006-08: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (defensive backs)
- 2009-10: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (defensive coordinator)
- 2011-12: Western Kentucky (defensive backs)
- 2013-14: Tift County (Ga.) High School (defensive backs)
- 2015-16: South Florida (special teams coordinator/defensive backs)
- 2017: Oregon (defensive analyst)
- 2018: Florida State (special teams coordinator)
- 2019: Arkansas (defensive analyst)
- 2021-22: Louisiana-Monroe (special teams coordinator/safeties/assistant head coach)
- 2023-present: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (head coach)
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Listen to UAPB football coach Alonzo Hampton’s full interview on The Buzz at 2:25:42:
See our latest here:
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