Education:
High School:
Camden High School (Camden, Arkansas), 1976
College:
University of Arkansas-Monticello (Monticello, Arkansas), Bachelor of Science, 1980
University of Central Arkansas (Conway, Arkansas), Master of Physical Education, 1982

Personal:
Coach Mullins is 48 years old. He was born June 9, 1958, in Camden, Arkansas. He is married to the former Liz Morgan of Groves, Texas. The couple has three children: Katie, who is a freshman at Tech, Hunter, and Mason.

At Tech:
When Steve Mullins became the 14th head football coach in Arkansas Tech University history in the summer of 1997, he inherited a program in transition. The Wonder Boys had posted just six winning seasons and one conference championship in the previous 20 years, and they were in the infancy of a new era as members of NCAA Division II and the ultra-competitive Gulf South Conference.

Nine football seasons later, Tech has accomplished feats unmatched by any of its fellow GSC members from Arkansas. The Wonder Boys were the first Gulf South football program in Arkansas to ever win the GSC title outright (1999),  the first GSC football program in Arkansas to host an NCAA Division II Playoff game (2004) and the first GSC football program in Arkansas to win an NCAA Division II Playoff game (2004).

Those deeds have earned Mullins two Gulf South Conference coach of the year awards (1999, 2004) and one NCAA Division II South Region Coach of the Year honor (2004).

“It means a lot to me personally, and it means a lot to our program as well,” said Mullins when asked about the awards. “When we go out to sell this program and this university, it gives us more credibility. Coach of the year awards are just like playing quarterback. When things are going great, you get too much credit. When everything is going poorly, you get too much blame. So, I guess when things do go well you need to accept them and enjoy them while you can. It’s truly a team award. So many people contribute to a successful football program. I hold the position of head coach so I get all that credit, but there are countless people who worked very hard so that I could win those awards.”

Contact Info:
Phone: 479-968-0351
E-Mail: gregg.ricono@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
West Platte High School (Weston, Missouri), 1983

College:
Tarkio College (Tarkio, Missouri), Bachelor of Arts, 1986
Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville, Missouri), Master's of Science in Education, 1990

About Ricono: Gregg Ricono is entering his second year back at Arkansas Tech as the offensive coordinator following a three-year stint at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (2002-04), where he served as the head football coach, compiling a 12-20 record. Prior to that, he served as Tech's offensive coordinator for five years, highlighted by a 24-8 record over the final three years, one Gulf South championship and a berth in the NCAA playoffs. Ricono has also held coaching positions a quarterback and defensive back coach at Tarkio College, receiver coach at Northwest Missouri State; quarterback, running back and receiver coach and offensive coordinator for the Colorado Springs Spirit Minor Football Club; offensive coordinator and quarterback and running back coach at Missouri Valley College; and Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan College.  Ricono is a native of Cameron, Missouri and graduated from West Platte High School, where he earned 10 letters, four All-conference and two All-State honors in football, basketball and baseball. On the collegiate level, Ricono earned three letters as a quarterback at Tarkio College.

Dave Wheeler
Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Coordinator)

Contact Info:
Phone: 479-968-0282
E-Mail: david.wheeler@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
Lafayette High School (St. Joseph, Missouri), 1987
College:
Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville, Missouri), Bachelor of Science, 1991
Western Illinois University (Macomb, Illinois), Master of Science, 1997

About Wheeler: Dave Wheeler is entering his fourth year on the Arkansas Tech staff and his second as the Wonder Boys' defensive coordinator. Wheeler works primarily with the linebackers and also serves as the recruiting coordinator, strength and conditioning coordinator and summer camps director. Before coming to Tech, Wheeler spent five years as the head football coach at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He previously served as an assistant coach at Western Illinois University, Southwest Baptist University in Missouri and Independence Community College in Kansas. Wheeler is a native of St. Joseph, Mo., earning 11 athletic letters---four in football as a defensive back, three in basketball as a guard and four in baseball as a first baseman. Wheeler attended Northwest Missouri State University, where he earned four football letters as a defensive back and received the bachelor of science in education degree in 1991. He went on to earn the master of science degree from Western Illinois University in 1997. Wheeler is married to the former Stacy Jones of Lincoln, Ark.

Les Boyum
Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Line)

Contact Info:
Phone: 479-964-3266
E-Mail: les.boyum@atu.edu

Education:
Battle Lake High School (Battle Lake, Minn.), 1977

College:
Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Minn.), Bachelor of Science, 1982
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), Master of Education, 1987

About Boyum: Les Boyum is entering his first season with the Arkansas Tech football program, working with the Wonder Boys' offensive line and handling all the team's equipment. A native of Battle Lake, Minn., Boyum comes to Tech after spending the past two seasons (2004-05) at the University of Arkansas working with current Razorbacks Head Coach Houston Nutt. Prior to working at Arkansas, Boyum spent seven seasons as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Missouri Western State in St. Joseph, Mo. In addition to working at Arkansas and Missouri Western, Boyum has served as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri-Rolla (1992-96), Austin Peay State University (1990-91) and spent two seasons (1985-86) as a graduate assistant coach at University of Minnesota, including  working the 1985 season with former Arkansas and Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz. He began his coaching career in 1981 as an assistant at Anoka Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids, Minn. In addition to his college coaching experiences, Boyum also coached in high school at Robert E. Lee High School in Houston, Texas from 1982-84 and again from 1987-89. After his second stint at Lee H.S., he spent one year (1989) as an assistant at North Lamar High School in Paris, Texas, and spent two seasons (1991-92) as the offensive coordinator and head boy's track and field coach at Fayetteville (Ark.) High School. As a player, Boyum began his college career at Golden Valley Lutheran Community College in Minneapolis, Minn., before completing his final two years at Augsburg College, where he earned All-Conference honors as an offensive lineman. He earned his bachelor of science degree from Augsburg in 1982 and earned his masters degree in education from Minnesota in 1987. He is married to the former Sheri McElfish Lucy of Salem, Mo. and has two stepchildren, Michelle Lucy (22) and Nathaniel (17).     

Benyard Jones
Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Line) and NCAA Compliance Coordinator

Contact Info:
Phone: 479-964-3205
E-Mail: benyard.jones@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
Kankakee High School (Kankakee, Illinois), 1993
College:
Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana), Bachelor of Science, 1998
Arkansas Tech University (Russellville, Arkansas), Master of Education, 2001

About Jones: Benyard Jones returns to the Wonder Boys coaching staff after serving last season as the defensive coordinator at Butler University, an NCAA Division I-AA school in Indianapolis, Ind.  Prior to going to Butler, Jones served four seasons as an assistant at Tech.  A native of Kankakee, Ill., Jones is a graduate of Indiana University, earning the bachelor of science degree in 1998. he came to Tech that fall as a graduate assistant coach and received the master of science degree in 2001. While attending Kankakee High School, Jones earned two football letters and all-conference and all-state honors as an offensive center and defensive tackle. He also earned four prep letters in wrestling. Then at Indiana University, Jones was a three-year letterman as a defensive tackle for the Hoosiers. In addition to his coaching duties at Tech, Jones also serves currently as the school's NCAA Compliance Coordinator.  He is married to the former Terri Hankton of Russellville, Ark., and the couple has a daughter, Shakayla, age 11.
 

Ryan Wallace
Assistant Football Coach (Receivers)

Contact Info:
Phone: 479-964-3203
E-mail: ryan.wallace@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
Searcy High School
Searcy, Ark., 1996

College:
Henderson State University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Bachelor of Science Education, 2001; Master of Science in Sports Administration, 2003.

About Wallace: Ryan Wallace is entering his third season with the Arkansas Tech football program, working with the Wonder Boys' receivers this season after working with the running backs the previous two years. A native of Searcy, Ark., Wallace spent the previous year at Forrest City (Ark.) High School as a football assistant coach. He is a graduate of Searcy High School, where he earned two football letters as a fullback and linebacker. He went on to play for three seasons at Henderson State University as a cornerback and then spent a couple of years on the Reddies' staff as a graduate assistant coach. Wallace received the bachelor of science degree in physical education in 2001 and the master of science in sports administration in 2003, both from Henderson State. He is married to the former Jenny Maland of Harrison, Ark.

Greg Williams
Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Backs)

Contact Info:
Phone: 479-964-0360
E-mail: greg.williams@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
Bolingbrook High School
Bolingbrook, Ill., 1994

College:
University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Bachelor of Arts, 1998

About Williams: Greg Williams is entering his first season with the Arkansas Tech football program, working with the Wonder Boys' defensive backs. A native of Bolingbrook, Ill., Williams comes to Tech after spending the past two seasons as an assistant football coach at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Before entering the coaching ranks, Williams spent seven seasons playing professional football, including playing one season with the San Francisco Demons of the now-defunct XFL, spent four seasons playing in the Arena Football League and spent two seasons playing with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. In addition, he was in NFL training camps with the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. He is graduate of Bolingbrook High School, where he earned three letters in football as a quarterback/defensive back, four letters in basketball and one letter in track and field. Was a three-time All-District and a two-time All-State selection at defensive back and also earned All-District honors in basketball and track. Williams was a four-year letterwinner (1993-97) as a defensive back for current University of Texas Longhorns Head Coach Mack Brown at the University of North Carolina. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in 1998 from the University of North Carolina. Williams is single and resides in Russellville.      

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