Hughes coach steps down for 'higher calling'
Published: July 05, 2007
Fred Conley, T-H Sports Editor
Jason Carmichael has been the youngest college athletic director in the state of Arkansas, and he has had the opportunity to coach in a state high school basketball championship game.
From August 2000 until May 2003, Carmichael was athletic director and head men’s basketball coach at Central Baptist College in Conway, the youngest coach in the state to hold such a position.
Before that, he was head boys basketball coach and head baseball coach at Southside Bee Branch School.
For the past four years, Carmichael has coached the junior and senior high boys basketball program at Hughes, as well as coaching the girls’ softball team.
Under Carmichael, the Hughes basketball teams compiled a 72-35 won-lost record, were ranked in the top five in their classification for three consecutive seasons, and this past year, went 28-5 and reached the Class AAA state championship game, losing to Riverview.
His Blue Devils completed a perfect 16-0 run through the conference and won both the district and regional titles. Carmichael was named the 3AAA Coach of the Year.
Now, the former Hughes basketball coach has embarked on what may be his greatest challenge yet.
After four years as head basketball coach at Hughes, Carmichael has stepped down to become the area representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for St. Francis County and the surrounding eight counties.
Carmichael smiles and refers to his new job simply as the “calling.”
He knew early on this past basketball season that it would be his final season at Hughes.
“I knew that was going to end,” Carmichael said. “I really thought I would be moving back to Harding University for a return to college basketball. It made sense, especially when Kevin Brown (one of Carmichael’s seven Hughes seniors) signed to play college basketball at Harding. With family there, it seemed like such a simple move.”
Or so he thought until he realized he was headed toward another calling. A higher calling.
“My spiritual walk really improved this year, and I began to get convicted about staying in this area,” Carmichael said. “I did not know if that realm would include coaching. A friend of mine told me about the opening for the FCA position in Memphis, which is where I was attending church, and I thought that would be a great opportunity.”
That led Carmichael to getting in touch with David Parker, the Northeast Arkansas FCA Area Director.
“David mentioned that the area representative’s position had been vacant for several months, and they were looking for someone to fill this position once again,” Carmichael added. “Ultimately it was a calling to be here.”
A calling that won’t be easy.
“We have to start by rebooting all of the funding for this area and that is done by asking for donations from the coaches, businessmen and others in the area,” Carmichael said. “That is no easy task. But it is a task and a place I hold a burden for. I’m attached to this area and right now I just feel like God is telling me it is not time to leave this area.”
Carmichael says FCA is already over-extended in this area, with nine counties in this district and there are simply not enough representatives to handle the workload.
He says the bottom line is the schools want it, the kids need it and FCA wants to provide the program.
“The coaches and others who I have already talked with seem to be more than willing to work with FCA representatives, so because of that, I am very excited to be a part of this effort,” Carmichael explained.
Carmichael said he will miss coaching and did not immediately rule out the possibility of a future return to the coaching ranks.
“Even though Hughes got to the state title game, you could say I still feel a little unfulfilled,” Carmichael said. “We didn’t walk with the state rings, so who knows what could happen.”
Carmichael says he will draw on his coaching experience to build the FCA base in this area.
“There are both of the competitive nature,” Carmichael said. “It’s just like coaching a basketball game. I’ll be out spreading word about FCA in this area and some of the time, that will become competitive in its own way.” | 
