SEARCY, ARK. – Randy Tribble, head football coach at Harding University since 1994, submitted his resignation to President David Burks and athletics director Greg Harnden on Tuesday morning. His resignation is effective immediately. Current offensive coordinator Ronnie Huckeba (pronounced: HUCK-a-bee) has been named interim head coach.
Tribble, 52, cited personal reasons as the motivation for his resignation.
Harnden expressed appreciation for immeasurably positive impact that Tribble has had on Harding University and the Bison football program during his 31 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach. “Randy Tribble has had a great effect on the lives of all the Harding football players he has coached over the years. He is a close personal friend, and we in the Harding athletics department and the Harding community love Randy and his family.”
During his 14-year tenure as Bison head coach, Tribble directed the team to a 74-62-1 record. His 2002 squad compiled a 9-2 record, the second-best win total in program history. Tribble's 74 victories and .544 winning percentage both rank second all-time at Harding.
Prior to taking the head coaching position in 1994, Tribble served 13 years as an assistant coach under John Prock and Larry Richmond. He coached the secondary from 1981-84, was the offensive coordinator from 1985-87 and was the defensive coordinator from 1988-93.
Tribble was a four-year letterwinner at safety for Choctawhatchie High School in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. He also lettered four seasons as a safety at Harding from 1973-76, earning All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference honors in 1976. Tribble was inducted into the Harding Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
Prior to coming to Harding, Tribble coached for three seasons at Fort Worth Christian, serving as head coach in 1979 and 1980, winning the state championship his second season.
Huckeba, 52, is in his 22nd season on the Harding coaching staff. He is in his third season as the offensive coordinator. From 1994-2004, Huckeba was the team's defensive coordinator. He also served as defensive front-seven coach from 1988-1993 and secondary coach from 1986-87.
Huckeba was a tight end and defensive end at Claxton (Ga.) High School from 1969-72 before lettering four seasons as an offensive lineman for the Bisons from 1973-76.
A 1978 Harding alumnus, Huckeba joined the Harding coaching staff after spending five seasons as co-head coach with Adrian Hickmon at Ouachita Christian School, where he was named the Louisiana Class A Coach of the Year after leading OCS to a 15-0 record and a state championship. Huckeba began his coaching career as an assistant at Carlisle (Ark.) High School and at Fort Worth (Texas) Christian.
Harding, currently 1-1 in 2007, plays again Thursday night against third-ranked North Alabama. The game begins at 7 p.m., at First Security Stadium and is the first game of the Gulf South Conference television package that will air around the Southeast on CSS cable network.
