Ron Harms served as the head football coach from 1979-98 and was athletic director during most of the same period.  He was inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame in 2002.
          Harms was the head football coach at TAMUK for 22 years before his retirement at the end of the 1999 season and he served as the school’s athletic director for 17 years.
          During his tenure, the Javelinas had one of the most successful programs, not only in NCAA Division II but in the entire collegiate ranks.
          Harms took over the football position in July 1979 and led the Javelinas to an NAIA national championship and the Lone Star Conference title after the team had been picked to finish fifth in the league.
          The 1985 Javelina team won a second conference championship and was ranked in the top 20 in each of the college division polls.  The 1986 squad compiled a 9-2 record and also ranked in the top 20 in each poll.
          The 1987 team was 9-2, finished No. 1 in the NCAA Division II poll and won a share of the LSC championship.  The 1988 squad finished 10-3-0, won the LSC title, ranked No. 3 in the final NCAA Division II poll and reached the semifinal round of the Division II post-season playoffs.
          The 1989 Javelina team concluded its regular season with a 10-0 record, the sixth undefeated mark in the school’s history, won the LSC championship and ranked No. 1 in the final Division II poll.
          The 1990 and 1991 squads each were ranked in the Division II top 20 and the 1992 team won the LSC championship, reached the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs, was ranked No. 4 in the final Division II poll and compiled a 9-3 record.
          The 1993 Javelina squad was one of Harms’ most memorable.  It started 0-5 but came on to take the final five games, gain the LSC title and reach the NCAA Division II playoffs.  The team was ranked in the final NCAA Division II poll and won the West Region title before losing to eventual national champion North Alabama, 27-25, in a national semifinal game.
          In 1994, the TAMUK team finished the season ranked No. 2 in Division II, compiled a 12-2 record, reached the NCAA Division II championship game before losing to North Alabama, 16-10, on the Lions’ home field, took the NCAA Division II West Region championship and captured the LSC title.
          The Javelinas won their fourth consecutive conference title and their third straight West Region championship in 1995, reached the semifinal round of the playoffs and compiled an 11-2 record.  The team was ranked No. 1 in the final Division II poll.
          His 1996 team won a fifth straight conference championship and reached the NCAA Division II national playoffs.  It finished with an 8-3 record and was ranked No. 1 in the final Division II poll.
          The 1997 Javelinas won a sixth consecutive league title and reached the NCAA Division II national playoffs.  It finished with an 8-3-0 record and was ranked No. 4 in the Division II final poll.
          In 1998, the Javelinas advanced into the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II playoffs and won the West Region championship.  The team had an 11-3 record and was No. 11 in the final Division II poll.
          Harms had a 177-77-0 record with the Javelinas and his career record was 223-117-4.
          Harms has been named the Texas Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year, American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year four times, NAIA National Coach of the Year and NAIA District Coach of the Year.
          He has been named LSC Coach of the Year, AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (twice) and CNN’s NCAA Division II Coach of the Year.
          He had 18 players drafted in the NFL and two of these were first-round choices:  Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins and Jermane Mayberry of the Philadelphia Eagles.
          Juan Castillo, who played for Harms and also coached on the Javelina staff, is now on the Philadelphia Eagle coaching staff.
          A native of Houston, Harms received his bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University and holds a master’s degree from Wayne (Mich.) State University.  He has done post-graduate work at the University of Nebraska and the University of Oregon.
          At Valparaiso, Harms lettered three years in football and also earned letters in swimming and track and field.
          Harms started his coaching career at Lutheran East High School in Detroit where he coached three years.  He then moved to Concordia Detroit where he coached three years.  He went to Concordia Lutheran College in Nebraska where he coached eight years.
          At Concordia, he also served as track and field coach five years and was athletic director and physical education department chair two years.
          He became head football coach at Adams State in Colorado after Concordia and was there four years prior to becoming offensive coordinator at Texas A&I in 1974.  His Adams State teams won Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles twice and were runners-up the other two seasons.
          Harms joined the Texas A&I staff in the spring of 1974 and helped initiate the veer offense.  In his two years at the school, the Javelinas compiled a 25-0 record, won two NAIA national championships and took two LSC titles.  The squad claimed the LSC total offense, rushing and scoring titles in 1974 and 1975.
          He went to Baylor University in the spring of 1976 and became offensive coordinator in 1977.
          His teams at Texas A&M-Kingsville captured numerous NCAA Division II statistical titles, team and individual, and produced several dozen All-America first-team players.

          Harms earned his latest honor by being inducted into the LSC Hall of Honor Class of 2003.
          Harms is married to the former Marlene Peterson of Lapeer, Mich., and they have four grown children.