MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas University Head Football Coach Bill Keopple has announced the hiring of Mike McCarty as the program's new offensive coordinator for the upcoming 2020 season. The official announcement came on July 16. McCarty brings over 30 years of collegiate coaching experience at numerous stops along the Division I, Division II and junior college levels including 22 seasons as an offensive coordinator. His appointment to the Mulerider coaching staff comes following the departure of Landon Keopple who leaves Magnolia after 11 seasons to join Todd Graham's staff at the University of Hawaii.
 
Prior to coming to Southern Arkansas, McCarty spent the past two seasons at Division II Colorado State-Pueblo where he served as the ThunderWolves' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his time in Pueblo, CSU-Pueblo posted an overall record of 22-4 with an 18-2 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play, captured the 2018 RMAC Championship and made consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs. In those two seasons with McCarty leading the offense, the ThunderWolves averaged 33.8 points per game and over 380 yards of total offense.
 
McCarty's arrival in Magnolia will not be his first coaching stop in the Natural State as he previously spent time at the University of Central Arkansas (2014-16), where he coached running backs and served as the program's recruiting coordinator, and at Arkansas State University (2004-07) where he instructed the Red Wolves' wide receivers. In 2005, ASU won the Sun Belt Conference Championship and competed in the New Orleans Bowl.
 
In between his first two coaching stints in Arkansas, McCarty served as the offensive coordinator at Holmes College (2011-13) of the highly competitive Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) and coached the quarterbacks at Bryant University (2009-11).
 
Following his playing career as a wide receiver at the University of Oregon (1983-86) as well as serving as a graduate assistant (1988-90) in Eugene, much of McCarty's coaching experience came at the NCAA Division I-AA/Football Championship Subdivision level.
 
From 2001-03, he was the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Stony Brook and during that time the Seawolves offense lead the Northeast Conference in total offense. Preceding his time at SBU, McCarty served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Nicholls State (1999-01), Illinois State (1996-97), Hofstra (1994-96) and Oregon Tech (1991-92). While at Hofstra, The Pride appeared in the FCS Playoffs in 1995 and boasted the No. 3 offense in the nation with the fifth-best rushing game and the eighth-ranked passing game nationally.
 
McCarty also worked as a wide receivers coach at Troy University (1997-99), with the Trojans making the FCS Playoffs in 1998, and at Southeast Missouri State (1992-94) where he also served as the passing game coordinator.
 
In addition to his lengthy and impressive coaching resume, McCarty has extensive experience on the recruiting trail having blanketed the south (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas) and west regions (California, Colorado, Oregon) during his career.
 
McCarty has spoken at numerous coaching clinics around the nation and is a member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) where he has served as chairman of the AFCA Coach of the Year committee and on the Assistant Coaches committee.
 
McCarty's father, Don, enjoyed a highly successful high school coaching career in the state of Oregon which lasted nearly 40 years and earned him induction into the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame.