Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Brad Smiley just finished his fourth season as the Head Football Coach at SAU. After finishing with 8 wins in the fall of 2025, the Muleriders are now on their best 3-season win total in program history with 27 (10-2 in 2023 and 9-2 in 2024). The 27 wins in the past three seasons are also the 2nd most in the GAC, and 3rd most wins in the NCAA Super Region 3 during that span. Along with a 2nd place finish in the Great American Conference, the Muleriders once again had a Harlon Hill Trophy Nominee for the second consecutive season in punter Jay Todd Baker. Smiley’s 2025 Muleriders finished once again in the Top 10 of the NCAA Super Region 3 rankings, and also ranked among the Top 30 in NCAA D2 in thirteen different categories such as: Rushing Offense, 3rd Down Conversions, 4th Down Conversions, Sacks Allowed, Fewest Turnovers, Scoring Defense, Sacks By, Interceptions and Fewest Penalties. Baker and the Muleriders Special Forces units were an integral part of the team’s success in 2025 leading the Great American Conference several categories that also finished near the best nationally such as Net Punt, Punt Average, Blocked Punts and Kickoff Returns. 

The aforementioned Baker, named to the D2 Elite 100 list, led the conference in both Punt Average and Net Punt, as well as finishing 3rd nationally. He was named a 1st Team All-GAC performer for his efforts, and was joined on the 2025 All-GAC Team by 18 of his teammates. RB Arkez Gomez and OT Conor Hagerty also received 1st Team All-GAC accolades, along with five 2nd Team All-GAC and eleven 3rd Team All-GAC selections.  The 19 All-GAC honorees were the most in a single-season in Southern Arkansas history.  

The 2024 season also provided for more excitement in the Smiley era. A final ranking of #23 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, the Muleriders finished 9-2 which with their 19 wins in 2023 and 2024 they tied the 1952-53 Muleriders for the best 2-year win total in program history. The team had an electric and memorable night in November in which they tied 3 Great American Conference Football records in a 78-0 victory over conference foe Northwestern Oklahoma State. The 78 points and 11 touchdowns scored were two of the three GAC records, and the defense holding their opponent to minus 2 yards passing was the third record to go down in conference history.

The 2024 Muleriders also led the Great American Conference with 14 1st or 2nd Team All-GAC selections, and had 17 honorees in total. The offensive group was led by the GAC Offensive Player Of The Year, quarterback Judd Barton. Barton, a 5-time GAC Offensive Player Of The Week selection, was also a nominee for the Harlon Hill Award, given to the nation’s best D2 football player. 1st Team All-GAC selections along with Barton were RB Jariq Scales, UTL Kadyn Roach, OL Colton Grier & Center Thomas Bowman. This group led an offense that once again finished among the nation’s top offenses, which they have done for each of the three seasons Smiley has been in Magnolia (2024 #6, 2023 #5 and 2022 #3). The 2024 Muleriders finished ranked #3 Nationally in Turnover Margin at +17, and their E.A.T. Offense finished 1st in the GAC in Passing Offense, as well as Top 10 nationally in Scoring Offense (#6), Total Offense (#6), Touchdowns Scored (#6), Red Zone Rushing Touchdowns (#5), Completion % (#6), Red Zone Scoring (#6) and Rushing Offense (#9). The 2024 season finished up a career for RB Jariq Scales that saw him finish as the all-time leading rusher, leading touchdown scorer and leader in all-purpose yardage in Mulerider Football history.

The Mulerider defense also had a great 2024, led by two D2 Elite 100 selections, two-time AFCA All-American CB Melvin Smith Jr. and 2024 AFCA & Don Hansen All-American selection DE Dawson Scott. Both Melvin and Dawson led a group of seven Mulerider defenders named to the 2024 GAC All-Conference Team. Smith Jr. also became only the second Mulerider in program history to be selected to participate in the Reece’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL. along with SAU Hall Of Fame DE Cedric Thornton. Melvin Smith Jr. was the highest rated D2 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, and is living out his dreams as he signed a multi-year contract to play CB with the Kansas City Chiefs. Scott wrapped up a career in Magnolia that saw him become not only the GAC leader in sacks but also the school’s all-time career sack leader, he also is chasing his professional dreams and is currently under contract with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Canadian Football League.

In season two at the helm, the 2023 Muleriders became only the second football squad in school history with 10 victories, a feat which hadn't been accomplished in 73 years (1952).  The Muleriders finished the 2023 campaign 2nd in the GAC at 10-2, undefeated in Wilkins Stadium and the 2023 Live United Bowl Champions. They defeated Missouri Western State University 43-27 in the December clash of NCAA Super Region 3 ranked teams, where the Muleriders clinched its first postseason win since 1990.

Explosive and league leading offenses have become the norm as SAU finished 1st in the GAC and Top 5 in the nation in Total Offense for the second consecutive season.  The 2023 Muleriders also had a 1st Team AFCA All-American in junior CB Melvin Smith and a 1st Team Academic All-American in junior RB Jariq Scales, who has received this honor in consecutive seasons.  Scales also became the first Mulerider rusher in school history to hit the 1,000 yard mark in three consecutive seasons.  Along with 1st Team selections Smith, Scales and OL Colton Grier, the 2023 Muleriders posted nine All-Great American Conference selections.  

In his  first season as head football coach of The Muleriders in 2023.  His first season at the helm provided plenty of excitement and promise for the future of the program.  In his inaugural game at Wilkins Stadium on September 1, 2022 The Muleriders set a new home-opener school record for points scored in their 62-31 victory over GAC foe Northwest Oklahoma State.  Explosive offensive numbers became the norm in 2022 as SAU’s offense finished 1st in the Great American Conference and tied for 3rd in NCAA Division 2 in Total Offense, at 485.6 yards per game.  Offensively the team finished Top 4 in nine different categories, leading the GAC in Total Yards, Yards Per Game and First Downs.  The Muleriders also finished Top 25 nationally in 7 different offensive categories, including 6th in the nation in 3rd Downs Conversions (49%) and Rushing Offense (257.8 yards per game).  The rushing attack was led by sophomore RB Jariq Scales, who was named both 1st Team All-GAC and 1st Team Academic All-American, and became only the second player in SAU history to have back-to-back 1000 yard rushing seasons.  In 2022 The Muleriders had six players selected on the All-GAC team, including SAU’s all-time leading scorer, K Austin Wilkerson, who joined Scales as a 1st Team Academic All-American and Cliff Harris Award nominee, LB Jacob Berry.

Smiley came to Magnolia from his hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana where he spent the previous four seasons as offensive coordinator at Northwestern State University.  While at NSU the Demon Offense broke or tied 24 school records, including posting the school’s all-time career leader in passing, completions and passing touchdowns (Shelton Eppler); the school’s all-time single season leader in receptions (Quan Shorts) and the all-time single season leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (Jazz Ferguson).  In 2021, the Demons offense also broke the single game record for Total Offense with 707 yards in a victory over #14 ranked UIW.  During his short tenure at NSU, Smiley’s offense produced a Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, an All-Louisiana College Team Offensive Player of the Year, two Division 1 FCS All-American wide receivers and NSU’s only 400 yard passers in school history.

Prior to NSU, Smiley built Trinity Valley Community College (2007-2017) into one of the country’s most dominant junior college football programs. In 2014, American Football Monthly magazine honored Smiley as the National Junior College Coach of the Year after leading the program to a perfect 12-0 record that season.  Smiley took over a TVCC program that only won two games in its previous season and finished becoming the only program in conference history to win five consecutive conference championships (2013-2017).  Smiley’s Cardinals during that span would also win three regional championships (2013, 2014 and 2016), spent 64 consecutive weeks ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 and 22 straight weeks ranked in the NJCAA Top 10.  During his 11 seasons, Smiley coached twenty All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, two Conference Offensive Players of the Year, three Conference MVP’s, four Conference Defensive Players of the Year, was named Region Coach of the Year three times and was victorious in four of their five bowl appearances. 

The Cardinal’s offense held a top 10 national ranking in nine of Smiley’s 11 seasons as head coach, and their prolific offense led the nation in total touchdowns and scoring offense for three straight seasons (2014-2016).  During his tenure at TVCC, the offense set eight NJCAA national records including: Yards Per Game (656.1 in 2015) and Yards in a Season (7,778 in 2014). In 2015, the Cardinal’s offensive numbers led all of college football regardless of level. 

Prior to TVCC, Smiley spent seven season (2000-2006) coaching at Tulane University in New Orleans. While at Tulane he spent five seasons coaching the Green Wave tight ends as well as carrying the title of recruiting coordinator.  While there he was a part of an offensive staff that produced Tulane’s career passer (former 1st Round NFL draft pick Patrick Ramsey), top two rushers (former NFL running backs Matt Forte and Mewelde Moore) and scoring leader (Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Seth Marler). 

Smiley and his beautiful wife Janna have been married for 29 years, and they have two wonderful children.  His oldest, Ben, is a 2024 Business Administration and 2025 Masters of Business Administration graduate of Louisiana Tech University and is currently working in Wealth Management in Ruston. His daughter Clary, is a 2026 honors graduate of Southern Arkansas University, with a Bachelors of Science in Biology (Pre-Health). As an undergrad she also served on the football staff as a student assistant with Football Operations.  Coach Smiley holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing from Baylor University, and a Masters of Education in Sports Administration from Northwestern State University.