Carson Newman’s Ken Sparks a 2026 inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame

Former Carson Newman Univesity head coach Ken Sparks has been selected as a 2026 inductee into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame.

Sparks was at the helm at Carson Newman for 37 seasons winning 5 NAIA national championships and 3 NCAA Division II titles.

A report from the school said Sparks’ winning percentage of 76 is the fourth highest in college football history and his 338 wins placed him at fifth all time among college coaches at the time of his retirement in November of 2016. Sparks died from cancer four months later at the age of 73.

(IMAGE: Property of PFF College Football Hall of Fame / CNU)