FAMILIAR FACES PART OF NEW COACHING STAFF

1st Lt. Juan Martinez ’16 – Juan, a soldier with 994th MDVSS, is a licensed radiologic technologist in the civilian sector who volunteers at U.S. Military Hospital-Kuwait every weekend to perform X-rays and CT scans on patients needing medical imaging. Martinez’s volunteer service provides relief to the hospital staff while maintaining his medical imaging skills, as well as patient care quality.

Tyler Zuber ’17 – Tyler, former relief pitcher for the Red Wolves, made the Opening Day roster for the Kansas City Royals in June 2020. Nathan Bailey ’18 – Nathan was recognized by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board in 2020 for his invention of The Bailey Patch and design of the Original Pink Polytube. He is the founder and CEO of Waterbug Irrigation, LLC, which he founded in January 2017, while he was also a full-time student at Arkansas State University.

Christien McClaughlin ’18 – Christien was promoted to assistant financial center manager at Simmons Bank in Jonesboro in 2020.

Robert Morris ’18 – Robert received his Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and Master of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in December 2020.

Haley Stotts ’18 – Haley was named First Security Bank of Jonesboro’s business development and marketing officer in January 2021.

While the naming of new A-State head football coach Butch Jones will certainly bring many new faces to the Red Wolves program, two Arkansas State University alumni will be part of Jones’ initial staff.

A-State graduates Brandon Joiner ’12 and Ryan Aplin ’12, both standouts on the field who led the Red Wolves to Sun Belt Conference championships during their playing careers, will fill key roles on Jones’ staff during his first year at the helm of the football program.

Joiner will coach the defensive line for the third consecutive year after filling the same position prior to the 2019 season. A familiar face at A-State, Joiner was a two-year letterman for the Red Wolves from 2010-11 and helped lead the program to the 2011 Sun Belt Conference championship while being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He spent three seasons at A-State as a graduate assistant coach (2016) and in a defensive line quality control position (2017-18) before being elevated to a full-time coaching role. During that time, Joiner helped lead the program to the 2016 Sun Belt Conference championship, three consecutive winning seasons and a trio of bowl-game appearances.

The Killeen, Texas, native earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Arkansas State University in 2012.

One of the most decorated players in Red Wolves history, Aplin was a two-time Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2012 when the Red Wolves won back-to-back league titles. He now returns as A-State’s running backs coach after spending the 2020 season as co-offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky and helping lead the Hilltoppers to a berth in the LendingTree Bowl.

Following his playing career at A-State, he made coaching stops at Auburn (2014-15), North Alabama (2016, 2018-19), UT Chattanooga (2017) and WKU.

The former quarterback still holds the school records at Arkansas State for career total offense (12,514 yards), completions (906) and passing yards (10,758), while his 67 touchdown passes stand as the second-most.

Aplin earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Arkansas State University in 2012, and is a native of Tampa, Fla.

CLASS NOTES CONTINUED

Spenser Sullivan ’18 – Spenser graduated Magna Cum Laude from Elon University School of Law in December 2020.

Landen Crancer ’19 – Landen passed his CPA exam in 2020 and is now a licensed CPA.

Zach Curren ’19 – Zach was appointed to serve as fire chief for the Napa City Fire Department in Napa, Calif., in December 2020.

Sarah Handloser ’19 – Sarah was accepted to the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles in May 2019. Steve Rice ’19 – Steve launched a podcast to highlight the Arkansas stories of non-native transplants in March 2020. In the first six months, The Landing Pad Podcast has featured guests from five continents, over a dozen countries and dozens of states across the country. Brenda Awuah ’20 – Brenda graduated from A-State’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in August 2020 after an intense 13 months. She later passed her NCLEX with the minimum amount of questions.

Megan Bright ’20 – Megan received the Alpha Lambda Delta Graduate Fellowship to pursue graduate study and was accepted by the veterinary medicine school at Mississippi State University in September.

Dr. Linwood B. Whitten ’20 – Linwood was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who Biographical Registry in September 2020. Cliff Mullis – Cliff was named to the Arkansas Business 40 under 40 2020 class.

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