Former Hogs assistant, Reddies AD dies at 78

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Contact)

LITTLE ROCK — Mickey O’Quinn, a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and former Arkansas Razorbacks assistant coach who helped revolutionize strength and conditioning programs for high school and college athletes, died Sunday night. He was 78.

O’Quinn was the linebackers, defensive ends and strength and conditioning coach for Arkansas under Coach Frank Broyles from 1963-1970, including the Razorbacks’ 1964 national championship season.

O’Quinn left Fayetteville to become Henderson State’s athletic director, a job he held until 1998. It was during this time that O’Quinn became best known as a developer of preseason, in-season and off-season strength and conditioning programs for a variety of sports.

He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. He is also a member of the Reddies Hall of Honor.

O’Quinn coached Warren High School to a 54-9-4 record from 1958-1963.

O’Quinn was also a member of the undefeated 1949 Little Rock Junior College Trojans, who won the Little Rose Bowl game - unofficially considered the national junior college championship. He finished his playing career as a Henderson State linebacker in 1951-1952.

There will be visitation for O’Quinn tonight from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home in Arkadelphia. The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Arkadelphia.