James Paul Cox, Jr. was born in Visalia, California, on November 7, 1954, where he lived during his first five years. After starting school in Visalia, his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. His fifth grade year began in Greenwood, Arkansas and ended in Bakersfield, California. He started eighth grade in Oxnard, California, then moved back to Greenwood, Fresno, and back to Greenwood. It was after Jim’s third enrollment in the Greenwood Public Schools that he was invited to join the family of junior high football coach –H.B. Stewart–in the spring of 1969. Jim now had two sets of parents and seven siblings –two brothers and six sisters. He graduated from Greenwood High School in 1973. Jim lettered in football, basketball, and baseball in high school and was voted the GHS male athlete his senior year. Jim also served as a class officer and Student Council president. After graduation, he enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University where he would earn a Bachelor of Science degree in math and physical education in 1977. While attending OBU, he was a three-year letterman in football. His senior year, Jim was voted captain of the football team, a semifinalist for the NAIA Outstanding Defensive Player award, an honorable mention All-AIC selection and received the OBU Outstanding Defensive Player award. In 1978 he earned a master’s degree from Henderson State in guidance and counseling. Jim began his coaching career as a graduate assistant baseball coach at Henderson State University. During the summer of 1978 Jim accepted a job as an assistant football and track coach at his alma mater, Greenwood. The following year, Jim and his wife, Janet, moved to Conway, where he worked at the high school as an assistant football and track coach, along with off-season responsibilities. After three years at Conway, the head football position at Huntsville High School came open and Jim accepted the position in late July. After a year, the Cox family was back in Conway for a year where Jim served as an assistant football and basketball coach. Jim become the head football and track coach at Hot Springs Lakeside the following year and was at Lakeside for two years. After serving at Lakeside, Jim became athletic director and head football coach at Fordyce Public Schools. He also served as the head track coach for nine years and the head baseball coach for one year. During Jim’s ten years at Fordyce, the athletic department improvements included the construction of a new field house with public restroom facilities, renovation and addition to the bleachers forfootball and basketball, new scoreboards for football and basketball, renovation of the football field press box, resurfacing and converting the all weather track to a metric track, a state-of-the-art strength training facility, and the addition of baseball and softball. Jim started the annual Redbug Football Camp for elementary students. After ten years, Jim and his family moved back home to Greenwood. In 1996 Jim took an assistant football and head track coaching position at Greenwood. In the spring of that year, Jim accepted the position as the assistant principal at Wells Junior High in Greenwood. In 2000 Jim accepted the head football and track position at Kimmons Junior High School in Fort Smith. He also coached the eighth grade basketball team. In 2002, Jim became an assistant principal at Southside High School. During his time at Southside High School Jim earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Arkansas –Fayetteville. Jim was selected as the outstanding doctoral student for the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and
3Foundations in 2006. In 2007, he became the Dean of Students at the University of Arkansas –Fort Smith. While at UA Fort Smith, Jim served on the Chancellor’s Cabinet, the Task Force forthe Strategic Planning of Student Life and Services, the Athletic Board, the Campus Climate Committee, and the American Democracy Project Committee. Jim retired in June of 2009 after 32 years in the education profession. Jim served on the AHSAAA executive board as vice-president, president, and past president. He was selected as the AHSAAA Athletic Director of the Year (91-92) and the NCSSAD Southern Regional Athletic Director of the Year (92). In 1995, Jim received the AHSAAA State Award of Merit. Jimhas the distinction of being the last Arkansas Gazette (1990) and first Arkansas Democrat/Gazette (1991) Football Coach of the Year. He was selected the Pine Bluff Commercial Football Coach of the Year for 1990 and 1991. He was an assistant coach for the 1991 All Star football game and served as the head coach of the All Star game in 1992. He was a four-time district 7AA Football Coach of the Year and was also selected the AHSCA Football Coach of the Year in 1991. Jim and his wife of 30 years, Janet, reside in Greenwood, Arkansas. They have two sons, Jacob, of Garden City, Kansas, and Jonathan, of Fort Smith, Arkansas.