New Sallisaw Black Diamond Head Coach
Mark Hutson
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - In a special meeting held Monday night, the Sallisaw School Board voted to hire former NFL player and coach Mark Hutson as the Black Diamonds new head football coach.
Hutson, a Fort Smith native, attended Northside High School in Fort Smith before playing football for the University of Oklahoma. He was a two-time All-America lineman at Oklahoma (1986-87). He was a team captain and member of the Sooners' 1985 National Championship team, and made four consecutive Orange Bowl appearances (1985-88). He was named to the Oklahoma All-Century Team and named one of the Top 100 players in OU history. He was a three-time All-Big Eight selection and wrapped up his college career with an appearance in the 1988 Hula Bowl All-Star game in Hawaii.
Hutson was a third-round draft choice for the Dallas Cowboys in 1988. He was forced into early retirement after a back injury and subsequent back surgery. He then returned to OU and completed his bachelor's degree in communication in 1990.
Hutson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma University in 1990. He also coached with Houston Nutt at Murray State University, Boise State University and the University of Arkansas. While with the Razorbacks, Hutson was selected Southeastern Conference Special Teams Coach of the Year.
Hutson served as the offensive line coach and student-athlete academic liaison at The University of Tulsa from 2000-02. After Tulsa, Hutson went to Eastern Illinois University and spent four seasons as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. In the 2006 season, Hutson served as the interim head coach.
During Hutson's time at Eastern Illinois, the team won two conference titles and went to the NCAA Division I playoff twice.
Hutson joined the Tulane University staff in 2007 as spent five seasons as offensive line coach.
In February 2012, Hutson was hired by the Oakland Raiders to be the tight ends coach. Hutson worked in the National Football League as the tight ends coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2012 until 2014.
Hutson returned to Eastern Illinois in 2015 and served as assistant head coach and offensive line coach. He then spent two years as assistant offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns (2016-18) before heading to LSU as an offensive analyst in 2019-20.
In 2021 Hutson worked at Tennessee State as their offensive line coach. He followed head coach Hue Jackson to Grambling State University in December 2021 before deciding to seek a position as the Sallisaw Black Diamonds head coach.
"After 30 years in the business, it's time for a change," Hutson said when asked why he had made the decision to come to Sallisaw. He added that his daughter-in-law is a teacher at the high school already and his son will be joining him as part of the Diamond's coaching staff. Hutson and his wife both have family in the area and are expecting their first grandchild soon.
"I'm ready to go to work," Hutson added.
Hutson replaces former Sallisaw Head Coach Randon Lowe who resigned in December 2021 after taking over head coaching duties for the Black Diamonds in 2018.
KXMX News Staff
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