What is Ken Sparks?
{{Infobox college coach|name=Ken Sparks|birth_date={{Birth date|1944|2|25}}|birth_place=[[Knoxville, Tennessee]]|death_date={{Death date and age|2017|3|29|1944|2|25}}|death_place=[[Knoxville, Tennessee]]|player_team1=[[Carson–Newman Eagles football|Carson–Newman]]|player_positions=[[Wide receiver]]|coach_years1=1977–1979|coach_team1=[[Farragut High School|Farragut HS (TN)]]|overall_record=338–99–2 (college)<br>29–5 (high school)|tournament_record=19–5 (NAIA D-I playoffs)<br>19–15 (NCAA D-II playoffs)|championships=5 [[NAIA Football National Championship|NAIA Division I]] (1983–1984, 1986, 1988–1989)<br>21 [[South Atlantic Conference|SAC]] (1982–1984, 1986, 1988–1991, 1993–1999, 2002–2004, 2007–2009)|awards=[[NAIA Football Coach of the Year Award|NAIA Division I Coach of the Year]] (1984)|coach_team2=[[Carson–Newman Eagles football|Carson–Newman]]|coach_years2=1980–2016}} '''Ken Sparks''' (February 25, 1944 – March 29, 2017) was an [[Americans|American]] football coach and player. He was born in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]. == Career == Sparks served as the head football coach at [[Carson–Newman University]] in [[Jefferson City, Tennessee]] from 1980 until his retirement at the end of the 2016 season. He was the record-holder for the most wins as a coach in [[NCAA Division II]] history. He won five [[NAIA National Football Championship|NAIA Championships]] (1983–1984, 1986, 1988–1989). He retired on November 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legendary Carson-Newman head coach Ken Sparks announces retirement - Wate.com - November 14, 2016 |url=http://wate.com/2016/11/14/carson-newman-head-coach-stepping-down/ |access-date=March 30, 2017 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510180740/http://wate.com/2016/11/14/carson-newman-head-coach-stepping-down/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> == Death == Sparks died March 29, 2017 in Knoxville from [[prostate cancer]], aged 73.<ref>[http://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/03/29/ken-sparks-coaching-icon-carson-newman-dies/99774214/ Ken Sparks,