Brown announces changes to Bears’ staff ahead of spring practice

CONWAY,Ark. — When Central Arkansas hits the practice field next week, the coaching staff overseeing them will have a different look.

Coach Nathan Brown has revamped his staff heading into the 2025 season, with some new faces, some returning for another stint at UCA and some serving in new roles.

“We are excited to make some great additions and adjustments to our 2025 football coaching staff,” Brown said a week out from the start of spring practice on March 6. “We have a good mix of new ideas and familiarity within our program. There are several new faces in roles and also some coaches from our staff that will have enhanced roles moving forward.”

One notable addition — or return — is Chad Williams as defensive coordinator, replacing the retiring Greg Stewart.

“I am excited about the return of Chad Williams as our defensive coordinator,” said Brown. “Chad spent 2018 to 2020 with us in the same role and gave us some of the highest caliber defenses we have had at the Division 1 level during that time. We finished the 2019 season as a national playoff seed and a Southland title with him calling our defenses.

“He has spent the last four years at his alma mater at Southern Miss, as the linebackers coach and run game coordinator. Not only does Chad bring a ton of coordinating experience to us but also a wealth of NFL knowledge.

“He played safety and linebacker in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens for almost a decade and brings that mentality to work every single day. He demands details and respect from his players and they get better every day because of that.”

Blaze Barista, who will be the safeties coach and transfer portal coordinator, was previously in the UCA program in 2022 on the defensive side of the ball working with outside linebackers.

“Blaze Barista is a young talented coach in the football profession,” said Brown. “Blaze is coming to us from The Citadel where he was the safeties coach on staff there. He is one of the most talented recruiters I have been around and really demands the room at a high level in the secondary. He coaches with passion and energy everyday and has made us better on defense the second he stepped on campus.”

On the offensive side of the ball there are several changes, not the least of which is Brown taking over offensive coordinator duties. He has also hired a new running backs coach in Will Kennedy and a new quarterbacks coach in Chase Fourcade.

“We have made some adjustments to our offensive staff and one of those is coaching the position of quarterback,’ said Brown. “I wanted to hire someone to take the roll as quarterback coach and run the day to day operations and that guy was Chase Fourcade.

“Chase is a familiar name to UCA not because of his ties to UCA but in playing and competing against UCA in his playing career at Nicholls. Chase was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the Southland Conference.

“He is the all-time leading passer and total offensive guy in Nicholls history. He was a conference player of the year at the quarterback position and turned that into a three-year professional career between the NFL, CFL, and USFL.

Chase recently retired from the game and got into coaching and was a natural fit to run that room. I have stayed in touch with him over the years and always thought I would want to hire him on our staff if given the opportunity. Chase brings a wealth of knowledge and is a fundamental expert with the quarterback position.”

Kennedy has obvious Conway ties as a former Conway Wampus Cat student-athlete.

“I am excited to announce Will Kennedy as our new running backs coach,” said Brown. “Will is very familiar with the community of Conway as a Wampus Cat alum. Will went to the University of Arkansas out of high school and got into coaching during his undergraduate days at Arkansas. He has since turned that into a graduate assistant job that assisted with the running backs position.

“Will has coached with some great offensive minds while at Arkansas such as Dan Enos and Bobby Petrino. He has SEC experience and has seen that position group run at the highest level. Will is young and smart and understands the fundamental side of coaching the running back room. He will make us better at that position every single day.”

Ken Collums, the Bears’ former offensive coordinator and a UCA Sports Hall of Famer from his playing days, has assumed a new role with the Bears as assistant head coach and tight ends coach.

“We have also changed and enhanced the rolls of several coaches on our staff. Ken Collums will now take over as assistant head coach and tight ends coach,” said Brown. “With Coach Collums experience as a head coach and his overall care for young men and knowing the game of football, he is a valuable asset to what we are trying to build here. He has been doing this for a long time and has a wealth of experience and knowledge that is invaluable to us.”

Also on the offensive side of the ball, Jake Walker moves from tight ends to wide receivers and adds the title of offensive pass game coordinator.

“He is one of the brighter young coaches I have been around and has made us better in our wide receiver room with detail and knowledge,” said Brown. “He has a great mind for the game and you can see him really spreading his wings, coaching a skill position now.

“Offensive line coach Gunnar Boykin is also adding the offensive run game coordinator to his coaching title. He has been with me for all seven of my years here and has consistently had one of the better offensive lines in the conference.

“Gunnar has a lot of skills when it comes to scheming an offense and I use him as a security blanket for me and what we are trying to accomplish on the offensive side of the ball.

“We are also excited to get Brooks Hollingsworth back and use him on the offensive side of the ball as an analyst. Brooks is a UCA Hall of Famer that knows more ball than the whole staff combined. He will add to the game plan room and scheming a winning offense every day.”

Special teams will also feature a few changes, according to Brown.

“We have made some adjustments in the third phase of the game as well. Kre Trammell will now be our special teams coordinator,” he said. “Kre is as talented of a young coach as I have ever been around. He is organized and detailed and will look to attack on special teams. We need this phase to be a weapon and allow us to gain an advantage every week. He will oversee all units on special teams as well as still coaching our corners on defense.

“Walker Ashburn will add the co-special teams coordinator to his title and will oversee our punt unit. This unit is probably as important as any in this phase and having Walker just focus on the scheme and execution of this unit will make us better. Walker will handle this along with other responsibilities within Coach Trammell’s special teams units while also coaching our interior defensive line.”

The mainstay on the defensive side is Tony Davis, who coaches UCA’s defensive ends and edge rushers.

“Tony Davis is returning as our defensive line edge coach and defensive run game coordinator,” said Brown. “Tony has been with me for the past seven years and we have always had one of the higher caliber defensive lines in the conference. I think Coach Davis is one of the best defensive line coaches in the country at the FCS level. One of the big reasons for David Walker’s success should be attributed to Coach Davis and the way he developed him.”

The Bears are scheduled to open Spring Practice on Thursday, March 6. The Spring Game is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 on The Stripes.

Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.