Eric Roark joined the Lamar University football coaching staff in April 2016. A veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks for three decades, Roark will take over the Cardinals defensive linemen.
Roark comes to the Golden Triangle after spending the previous seven years in the Alamo City serving as the defensive line coach at UTSA. One of Larry Coker's original hires at UTSA, Roark helped build the Roadrunners program from the ground up. During Roark's time in San Antonio, UTSA won 26 games while making the transition from FCS independent to an FBS contender in C-USA. The Roadrunners posted two above .500 seasons during that stretch including an 8-4 (.667) record during their inaugural season at the FBS level.
Roark's line helped UTSA rank among the conference's top-five in five different statistical categories, including rushing defense, while his linemen combined to record more than 300 tackles and 44 tackles for losses. In 2013, the Roadrunners posted a 7-5 (.583) record which included wins over two bowl teams.
Prior to his time in San Antonio, Roark spent six seasons as an assistant coach at SMU (2002-07). During that time, he worked with the Mustangs secondary and defensive ends, coordinated special teams and also served as recruiting coordinator for four seasons. Roark had several players selected in the NFL draft, and was named the fifth-best non-BCS recruiter in the country by Rivals.com (2005).
Roark spent the 2001 season at Tennessee under former UT head coach Phillip Fulmer, where he served as a graduate assistant in football administration. He helped the Vols win the Southeastern Conference East Division Championship and Citrus Bowl that season.
Prior to his time in Knoxville, he coached defensive backs and was the recruiting coordinator at Tennessee Tech from 1997-2000 under current Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith. He also made coaching stops at Middle Tennessee and Murray State.
Roark began his coaching career as linebackers coach at Southeastern Oklahoma State in 1984, followed by one-year stops as a graduate assistant at San Diego State and Iowa State.
Roark earned three letters as a defensive back at Oklahoma State from 1979-82 under Jimmy Johnson. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from Southeastern Oklahoma State in 1984 and received master’s degrees in the same discipline from Middle Tennessee in 1996 and a second in sports management from Tennessee five years later.
Roark and his wife, Connie, have two sons, Ben and Nick.
