College Football Notebook: Tyler’s Scott Maxfield sets milestone at Henderson State
Published 3:30 pm Friday, September 23, 2022
- Scott Maxfield
Scott Maxfield grew up in Tyler, playing football at John Tyler High School where he was a standout offensive and defensive lineman.
Former JT Coach Jimmy Franklin and Boulter Middle School Coach Jimmy Armstong once predicted Maxfield would make a great coach someday.
The two were correct.
On Sept. 17, Maxfield achieved quite a milestone, becoming the winningest coach in history of Henderson State University.
Maxfield recorded his 120th victory, surpassing Sporty Carpenter for the most wins in HSU football history as the Reddies defeated Arkansas-Monticello, 37-27, at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
The victory also gave Maxfield the fourth most wins by a head coach in the state of Arkansas.
The Tylerite is in his 17th season leading the Reddies. Maxfield has compiled a record of 120-59.
Some of his awards include: 2013 AFCA Super Region 3 Coach of the Year; 2012 and 2013 Great American Conference Coach of the Year; 2012 and 2013 Liberty Mutual AFCA/National Coach of the Year Finalist; and 2010 Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year.
He has coached 149 all-conference honorees, 67 all-region selections, 27 All-Americans and four Harlon Hill Trophy finalists.
Since 2010, Maxfield’s teams have claimed four conference titles and have made four postseason appearances, claiming the school’s first NCAA playoff win in 2015 by posting a 23-16 victory over Sioux Falls. In those nine seasons, Henderson has a 74-28 record. Maxfield has also led the Reddies to a 68-20 Great American Conference record which included a streak of 27 straight victories.
The Reddies claimed GAC championships in 2012, 2013 and 2015, earned a share of the Gulf South Conference title in 2010, have hosted the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and have played in the 2019 Texarkana Live United Bowl with Maxfield in charge of the program.
Maxfield also stresses studies.
Since Maxfield’s arrival, the academic standards within the Reddie football program have made a significant improvement, the school said. The team cumulative grade point average in the past three years is 2.8 with 85 players earning academic all-conference honors.
Prior to Henderson State, Maxfield was a four-year letterman at Louisiana Tech University. After his eligibility was finished, Maxfield served as a student assistant for the Bulldogs before becoming a graduate assistant at Mississippi.
He became head coach at Pearl River (Mississippi) in 2001, leading the Wildcats to a 7-2 record.
Maxfield then came home to Texas, leading Blinn College for three seasons and compiling a mark of 22-10. He became head coach at Henderson State in 2005 and helped the school transition from the NAIA to the NCAA.
Maxfield and his wife Beth Ann, who holds a doctorate in English, have one daughter, Alexandra Hailey.
The family is very active in the community, having assisted with several charitable organizations, including donating their time as well as providing financial support to such organizations as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Humane Society, United Way, Relay for Life, and the Red Cross to name a few.
Maxfield and his Reddies (3-0) look to stay unbeaten on Saturday when Henderson State travels to Magnolia, Arkansas to meet Southern Arkansas (1-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.