2004 president and board members: Ken Hatfield of Rice University will lead the American Football Coaches Association in 2004 as president of the organization.

Hatfield, former AFCA first vice-president, succeeds outgoing president Phillip Fulmer of the U. of Tennessee. Hatfield was elected president by members attending the Association's 2004 convention in Orlando.

"This is an opportunity to look out for all coaches around the country and I'm honored to be leading the Association," Hatfield said. "This profession is one where the passing down of information from generation to generation is so important and what we do is so special and unique. I'm looking forward to the next year."

The AFCA, founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others, has more than 10,000 members from all levels of the profession. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession," and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching."

In addition to Hatfield, 2004 AFCA officers include first vice-president Paul Pasqualoni, Syracuse U., second vice-president Scot Dapp, Moravian College and third vice-president Mel Tjeerdsma, Northwest Missouri State U.

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Also serving on the Board in 2004: Ron Randleman, Sam Houston State U.; Ken Sparks, Carson-Newman College; Larry Kehres, Mount Union College; Tyrone Willingham, U. of Notre Dame; Tony Samuel, New Mexico State U.; Rob Ash, Drake U.; Chuck Amato, North Carolina State U.; Lloyd Carr, U. of Michigan; Bill Snyder, Kansas State U.; David Cutcliffe, U. of Mississippi; Mike Bellotti, U. of Oregon; Gary Darnell, Western Michigan U., and Rob Ianello, U. of Wisconsin, ex-officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee.

Cutcliffe, Bellotti and Darnell are newly-elected members of the Board this year. AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.

Hatfield is the third coach from Rice to serve as president of the AFCA. He was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 1997. Hatfield joins Jess Neely (1956) and John Heisman (1924) as the Owl head coaches to lead the Association.

Hatfield completed his 10th season at Rice, and his 24th season as a head coach, in 2003 and has a career record of 164-122-4 at Rice, Clemson, Arkansas and Air Force. In 1994 he led Rice to a share of its first conference title since 1957 when the Owls finished 7-4.

While at Clemson, he guided the Tigers to back-to-back January 1 bowl games and the 1991 ACC title. During his six years at Arkansas, he led his alma mater to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles and SBC Cotton Bowl appearances in 1988 and 1989. Hatfield earned AFCA National Coach of the Year honors at Air Force in 1983 when he led the Falcons to a 10-2 season.