Southern Arkansas University Athletics

It would most likely be an unsuccessful search if given the task of finding someone more "Mulerider" than Jeff Harrington. A 1986 graduate of Southern Arkansas University, Harrington has served his alma mater and Mulerider Athletics in multiple capacities for nearly 40 years; much like his beloved late father Dr. Jack Harrington; a 2005 SAU Sports Hall of Fame Inductee.
 
A native of Magnolia, Harrington grew up around the Muleriders as a result of his father's longtime devotion to the University as an agriculture professor, head baseball coach, and in multiple roles within the athletic department's game day operations. Jeff wasted no time becoming involved once arriving on campus as a freshman.
 
From 1982 through his graduation in 1986, Harrington served as the Student Sports Information Director. He then transitioned to Sports Information Director; a role that he held during the 1986-87 athletic year and through the end of 1987 covering the Mulerider Men's & Women's Athletic Programs during the start of the department's final decade as an Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference member of the NAIA. During his time in that position, he served as secretary of the AIC's Sports Information Directors Association and in the fall of 1987 he served as the association's president.
 
Harrington's next move took him into radio where he became news director at radio station KVMA in Magnolia. From 1988 through 1993, Harrington could be heard broadcasting Mulerider Baseball and since 1999, he has served in some capacity on Mulerider Baseball radio broadcasts whether in a full-time role or as a fill-in alongside longtime friend and fellow SAU Sports Hall of Famer Dan Gregory.
 
Harrington's service has certainly mirrored that of his father's and that became no more evident than in 1997 when he took over as the public address announcer for Mulerider Football and in turn carried on a legacy that began in 1965 when his father first grabbed the PA mic. Dr. Harrington served in the role through the 1994 season, while the 2021 campaign will be the 24^th for Harrington who has been the only in-stadium voice of the Muleriders over the past 120+ SAU Football home games.
 
Not only can Harrington be heard on Saturday's inside Wilkins Stadium, but since 2014 he has filled a full-time role as the public address announcer inside the W.T. Watson Center; home of the Mulerider Men's & Women's Basketball programs. The following year, Harrington became the full-time in-arena voice of Mulerider Volleyball home matches; a role he was very familiar with after serving in the same capacity for the 2003 through 2005 seasons.
 
His service has extended beyond the duties of a given game day as he is a proud 30+ year member of the Mulerider Club which includes four years as a member of the Club's Advisory Board and the 2017-18 athletic year as the Mulerider Club President.
 
Whether inside Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field, the W.T. Watson Center or on the radio coverage of SAU Sports, Harrington's confident and enthusiastic approach and presence for Mulerider Athletics has been and remains unmatched.