Football
First Coach on ‘The Stripes’ Returns for UCA’s Practice
Returning to the unique field at Conway, Clint Conque visited one of his former quarterbacks, Nathan Brown along with Bears.
CONWAY, Ark. — Former Central Arkansas coach Clint Conque was back on The Stripes at First Security Field at Estes Stadium on Tuesday morning, returning where he enjoyed 14 seasons and three conference titles.
He was visiting his former quarterback, Nathan Brown, ahead of a season where the Bears are picked to win the UAC conference. If he can string together the type success Conque had from 2000-2013, they will earn that honor.
Conque coached UCA to a Gulf South Conference title in 2005 all the way a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Bears were 11-3 that year, their last before moving up to the FCS level and Division I.
In the Southland Conference, he guided the Bears to a pair of FCS playoff second-round appearances (2011, 2012). He left for Stephen F. Austin after the 2013 season.
Brown was his quarterback for several of those years and returned where he was the first coach when the purple-and-gray striped field was installed before the 2012 season.
Looking to make a splash and help create a nationally-recognizable identity to complement the Bears’ long tradition of on-field success (highest winning percentage of any college in Arkansas since 1976), they took a unique approach.
UCA chose to break away from the standard green and the one-color scheme; instead opting to integrate both school colors into the field design to create an exciting look that instantly caught the public eye, months before the actual installation began.
The Bears will open the season Aug. 31 against Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark., at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. The first home game will be Sept. 14 against Austin Peay at 6 p.m. On the Stripes at 6 p.m. That game will also be televised on ESPN+.
