04 Apr 2026 501 Hometown Hall of Famers: Bobby Tiner
By David Grimes
Bobby Tiner’s accomplishments on the football field spanned over four decades, both as a player and a coach.
Tiner was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) in 1990 as part of the 32nd class, joining Geese Ausbie, Leota Barham, Benny Ellender, Lowell “Hoss” Manning and Henry Moore.
Although Tiner has called Conway home for many years, he is a native of Morrilton, where he was a multisport star for the Devil Dogs. He was selected to play in the 1962 high school all-star basketball game following his senior season. Tiner almost enrolled at Arkansas Tech but chose to attend Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway instead. In 1967, the school changed its name to the State College of Arkansas and, in 1975, it became the University of Central Arkansas.
Back then, UCA was a member of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference, or simply the AIC. A group of former players and coaches still gathers annually to play in a golf tournament to remember those golden years. Founded in the late 1920s, the AIC lasted until 1995. The conference came to be affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) rather than the NCAA.
In addition to UCA, the schools most associated with the AIC were Arkansas Tech, UA-Monticello, Harding, Henderson State, Hendrix, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas. At various times, Arkansas State, UALR, and UAPB were also briefly members. The AIC has a rich athletic history and is well represented in the ASHOF, with many former athletes and coaches honored with enshrinement.
Tiner excelled in multiple sports as a Bear, lettering four times each in football and baseball and twice in track. He was named All-AIC four times in both football and baseball. As a quarterback, he was gifted at both running and passing and tallied more than 6,000 total yards. He also played on teams that won two AIC football titles and three baseball titles.
Following his time at UCA, he played minor league football for the Arkansas Diamonds in 1968 and 1969 in the Continental League. Tiner taught and coached at Pulaski Oak Grove High School for 35 years, beginning in 1971. After several years as an assistant, he was elevated to head football coach following the 1976 season, when the Hornets finished 0-10. Tiner immediately turned the team around, compiling a perfect 10-0 regular season record in 1977. They eventually lost in the playoffs, finishing 11-1. The Arkansas Gazette named Tiner its coach of the year among all state classifications.
In 1979, Oak Grove lost its season opener to McCrory. The Hornets would not lose again, finishing 13-1 and capturing the 1979 Class AA state championship with a victory over the same McCrory team.
Tiner retired after the 2001 season but remained on staff for a few more years as an assistant. The school later named its football stadium in his honor — Bobby Tiner Stadium. His devotion to his alma mater is unmatched. He still regularly attends UCA sporting events and hardly ever misses the weekly Bear Backers luncheons each Monday. Years ago, he was the broadcast partner of Bill Johnson for Bear football radio broadcasts.
He was selected as a charter member of the UCA Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
About 25 years ago, I started playing tennis, just for exercise and enjoyment. One Saturday, I participated in a fun doubles event at Hendrix College, where you played quick matches, rotating frequently to pair with different players. Eventually, I was paired up with Tiner. At that time, I knew who Tiner was, but did not really know him. However, I certainly knew that he had been, and still was, an exceptional athlete. Tennis was no exception. I was still learning the game, and I nervously said something to him, letting him know I was a newbie and not to expect too much help. With a friendly smile, he simply told me to just hit the ball and have fun, which is what we did.
Over the past quarter-century, I have had the opportunity to interact with Tiner countless times, including our service together on the ASHOF board of directors. He is as fine a gentleman as I have ever met.
