Arkansas State University

Coach Ike came to Arkansas State in 1943 as a physical training instructor for the Army Air Corps pilot training program on campus. Following World War II, he resurrected the athletics program as returning veterans arrived at A-State to pursue a college education on the GI Bill.  He coached five sports — football, basketball, wrestling, track and field, and baseball (for 33 years). He served as the director of athletics for several years and was the dean of men.

He preferred baseball and, under his leadership, his 1968 team competed in the College World Series and finished in the top three with a record of 26-8-1. In 1967, Coach Ike was named the Associated Press National Coach of the Year. In 1970, he was elected to the College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He was also welcomed into the Arkansas State University Hall of Honor in 1996.

In 1993, A-State’s new baseball complex, Tomlinson Stadium, was named in his honor.