'It's special': Former Ava football coach, standout son enjoying success at Evangel

Through their successful run at Ava as son and head coach, then-quarterback Nate Swofford would often pick the brain of his father, who helped cultivate the program's sustained success.

Dan Swofford, who led the Bears for 12 seasons, helped develop the youngest of his sixth children into a two-way standout who spearheaded a 2019 run to the state Class 2 title game before taking his game to Evangel University.

Eyeing retirement, the longtime educator soon found himself seeking Nate's thoughts when considering a career move and potential uproot.

"A (coaching) opportunity at Evangel had presented itself, and we discussed it," Nate said, recalling a 2022 conversation during Christmas break with his father. "He said 'If you don't want me to come up there, I won't come up there."

Oh, he did.

The elder Swofford soon joined head coach Chuck Hepola's staff as a defensive line coach; close enough to Nate, now an all-conference safety at Evangel, but far enough away to let him grow under the guidance of a qualified defensive-back staff.

After going a combined 45-7 during their time together at Ava, winning hasn't stopped at the NAIA level for the Swofford family.

When ninth-ranked Evangel (11-0) locks up with No. 8 Bethel (10-1) on Saturday in McKenzie, Tennessee, it will be the first postseason appearance for the Springfield program since 2005.

Evangel's return as a nationally relevant program is among the countless reasons the father and son are feeling thankful this year.

Unlike most college football players and coaches this time of year, they get to enjoy a Thursday feast at home before making the 330-mile road trip on Friday morning.

"It's special," Dan Swofford said. "I know I'll look back on this and feel even more grateful. We have a good father-son relationship, but we also have our boundaries here on the team."

Evangel, often littered with former Ozarks high school standouts, enjoyed its first undefeated season in program history thanks to a Top 10 defense that yielded only 14.9 points and 262 yards per game.

Offensively, the Valor (31 points per game) often look downfield to former Strafford wide receiver Dillon Hester, Evangel's record-breaking receiver, All-American, and KCAC Offensive Player of the Year.

"(Bethel) will definitely be the best team we've played this year," Nate said. "It's going to take the best effort we've had to beat them."

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Nate, a junior, still has another season of eligibility, so no matter Saturday's result, the Swoffords still have another season to try to add to their lofty father-son win total.

"I thought he would retire from Ava," Nate said. "So this has been fun."

"I try to treat all my players like they are my son," Dan said. "Help them be the best they can be."

After retiring from education and focusing solely on football at Evangel, Dan would often have to leave his family and farm in Ava for long periods at a time until they could relocate to the Springfield area.

"That first year was hard," Dan said of the 2022 season. His wife, Erin Swofford, had been a principal in Gainesville, but after selling their Ava property and making the 55-mile move northwest, she accepted a teaching position in Ozark.

Evangel's hard-hitting team captain now benefits from their close proximity.

"Those home-cooked meals," Nate said with a laugh. "It beats the cafeteria."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Former Ava coach, standout son enjoying success together at Evangel