Magnolia, AR—John Bland, head football coach at Southern Arkansas University, has announced his resignation, effective February 23. Bland, a member of the Mulerider football staff for the past seven years, was the head coach only one year after serving as the offensive coordinator for head coach Steve Roberts, who resigned last year to become the head coach at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.

Bland will become quarterbacks coach at Rice University an the staff of Coach Ken Hatfield. Bland played for Hatfield at the University of Arkansas from 1985 through 1988. Arkansas won two Southwest Conference championships during that time and Bland was the team captain of the 1988 SWC championship Razorbacks.

Bland was a quarterback in Hatfield’s flexbone offense and Bland directed SAU’s offense that went to the flexbone in 1997 after Roberts’ first three years went only 1-7-1, 4-6, and 4-6. The ’97 ‘Riders finished 9-2 and won a Gulf South Conferenc championship, the ’98 ‘Riders were 8-2 and missed a perfect season by a total of five points and the ’99 team posted a 9-1 record, losing only one game by a field goal in overtime.

Last year in Bland’s first season as head coach, SAU posted a 5-5 record with all of the setbacks by narrow margins, including a 30-28 decision to NCAA Division II champion Delta State University.

Prior to his arrival at SAU with Roberts in 1994, Bland was a student assistant with the Razorbacks for a year and joined the staff at Auburn University in 1990, working with quarterbacks and receivers under head coach Pat Dye. After receiving his Master’s in Education at Auburn, he was the offensive coordinator at Columbia, Tenn., High School.

He is married to the former Candis Cone, also a graduate of the University of Arkansas. She completed her teacher’s certification at SAU. Candis’ brother, Drew Cone, walked on at SAU and became a four-year starting wide receiver, setting a school receiving record, making All-GSC three times and signing a contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bland’s have a daughter, Sydnee Shreve, born December 31, 1997, and are expecting their second child within a week.

Bland will replace David Lee of the Rice University staff. Lee will become the new quarterbacks coach at the University of Arkansas.