COMMERCE -- A new era has begun for the Texas A&M University-Commerce football program as Scotty Conley was named the 17th head football coach in Lion history by university president Dr. Keith McFarland.
Conley, 55, led Trinity Valley Community College to the 1997 NJCAA National
Championship. He posted a 32-12 record with two conference championships in
four seasons before becoming an assistant at the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 and 2001.
Currently living in Lake Kiowa, Conley is a 1970 graduate of Texas A&M-Commerce with a degree in business administration. He earned a master’s in secondary and higher education from A&M-C in 1973.
"Scotty is a very successful alumnus who has returned home," said A&M-C athletic director Paul Peak. "Scotty has a national championship in the junior college ranks and has a lot of experience as a Division I assistant. He’s an excellent coach and we’re excited to have him back in the fold."
"We’ve made an excellent choice," stated McFarland. "There’s no doubt he’ll
continue his success, put us back on the winning way and enhance the future of
our football program."
Conley was the 1997 NJCAA National Coach of the Year and American Football
Quarterly Junior College National Coach of the Year. He was also the 1999 NJCAA Regional Coach of the Year.
He directed the Cardinals to the 1997 and 1999 Red River Bowls.
"I’m looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities here at
A&M-Commerce," said Conley. "My alma mater is a special place."
Prior to becoming head coach at Trinity Valley, Conley was an assistant at
Howard Payne from 1993 to 1995.
He was a member of the Arkansas staff from 1990 to 1992, helping the Razorbacks to the 1991 Independence Bowl.
Conley coached running backs and receivers at Rice in 1989, running backs at
Tennessee in 1988 and linebackers at Kansas in 1987.
He was a linebackers coach at Texas from 1982 to 1986 and coached the Longhorns to the 1982 Sun Bowl, the 1984 Cotton Bowl, the 1984 Freedom Bowl and the 1985 Bluebonnet Bowl.
He was also the running backs coach at Texas A&M in 1980 and 1981, helping the
Aggies to a berth in the 1981 Independence Bowl.
Before going into collegiate football, Conley was the offensive coordinator at
Plano Senior High from 1977 to 1979 and was the linebackers coach there from
1974 to 1976. While at Plano, he helped the Wildcats to the 1977 State 5A
Championship and to district titles in five of his six seasons.
He was an assistant at Mt. Vernon from 1972 to 1973 and at Whitewright in 1971.
Conley has an East Texas background and he feels his team will represent his area.
"You can draw a 100-mile radius around Commerce and take in a great deal of East Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex," Conley began. "I’ve always drawn from this area. Our challenge is to make East Texas and the Metroplex identify A&M-Commerce and the Lions as their team."
A native of Winnsboro, Conley was an outstanding athlete for the WHS Red Raiders and was inducted into the Winnsboro High Hall of Honor a few years ago.
Conley has been married for 36 years to the former Glenda Phillips of Winnsboro
and has two grown children, Chris and Cortney, and two grandsons.
