Hughes High School prepares to name field for Gus Malzahn

HUGHES, Ark. -- This small delta town has seen better days.

It is hard to tell if there were ever a "glory days" for Hughes, Arkansas as the town with a population of 1,441 - according to the small sign along U.S. Route 79 - is littered with abandoned businesses, with only a Dollar General, a gas station and a small bank of any note.

If there were a Golden Age for this very poor city it was surely when Gus Malzahn was here from 1991 to 1995.

Auburn's head coach started his coaching career at Hughes High School in 1991 as the defensive coordinator for then-coach Dale Commer. When Commer left a year later, Hughes athletic director Charlie Patrick promoted Malzahn to head coach - Malzahn likes to joke that nobody else applied.

In just his third year as coach, Malzahn led the Blue Devils to the 1994 Class AA state championship game, where Hughes lost to Lonoke, 16-13, in the final minute.

With the 20th anniversary of that team's success approaching, Hughes is honoring Malzahn by naming its field for its former coach on Monday afternoon following a reunion of the 1994 team.

"That's a pretty special deal," Malzahn said. "Anytime you get a chance to go back and see old friends, and any place that helped you get to where you're at, I think that's very important to try to give back and looking forward to it."

School employees were making the finishing touches to the field on Sunday afternoon, putting on another coat of paint to the press box and concession stands and some wood work.

The school district, which is in fiscal distress, has not fielded a varsity football team since 2010 due to lack of participation and financial concerns. The hope is to have a junior high team in the fall and a varsity in 2016 after the Blue Devils finished the 2010 season 0-10 and lost 39 consecutive games.

The humble beginnings for Malzahn are clear in the way he carries himself and his colleagues and peers know his story well.

"I don't think Gus will ever forget where he started, where his roots are and he's a guy that came all the way up through the small - I mean, Hughes, Arkansas, it's a tiny place and he's kinda worked his way all the way up," Ole Miss coach, and good friend of Malzahn, Hugh Freeze said. "I think it's a tremendous honor. I'm glad the school is doing that for him, he's very deserving of it and I can't think ... Briarcrest (High School in Tennessee) inducting me into their Hall of Fame, it was a huge honor, something that I was humbled by and I'm sure Gus will be that.

"I think it's great he hasn't forgotten where he came from and they haven't forgotten that he was there."

Malzahn left Hughes in 1996 to coach at Shiloh Christian, where now Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee was his quarterback in 1999-2000 and has followed Malzahn to nearly every college stop since.

Lashlee recognizes how important Monday's dedication will be to his mentor.

"In coaching that's one of the biggest honors," Lashlee said. "You get a field named after you, that's a big deal. ... I know that'll be a special deal for him."

Approximately 20 members of the 1994 squad will attend the reunion and dedication ceremony. He's eager to see his former players, after all it was their run to glory, with late-season theatrics and playoff road wins, where Malzahn got his start.

"Looking forward to seeing the players and catching up with them," he said. "I've stayed in touch with a few but overall it's going to be fun to see those and see old administration too, old friends, and some catching up so I'm really looking forward to it."