2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team

2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football
Sun Belt Conference champion
GoDaddy.com Bowl champion
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Record10–3 (7–1 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRhett Lashlee (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorJohn Thompson (1st season)
Base defenseMultiple
Home stadiumLiberty Bank Stadium
2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Arkansas State $   7 1     10 3  
Louisiana–Monroe   6 2     8 5  
Middle Tennessee   6 2     8 4  
Louisiana–Lafayette *   4 2     5 4  
Western Kentucky   4 4     7 6  
Troy   3 5     5 7  
North Texas   3 5     4 8  
Florida Atlantic   2 6     3 9  
FIU   2 6     3 9  
South Alabama **   1 7     2 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations.
    ** – South Alabama was ineligible for the conference title or a bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.

The 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represented Arkansas State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first year head coach Gus Malzahn, who would leave for Auburn after a successful season. They played their home games at Liberty Bank Stadium as members of the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State recorded a Sun Belt conference championship on the way to a 10–3 season, culminating in a bowl win over Kent State in the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl.

Malzahn had taken over as head coach for Hugh Freeze, who left Arkansas State for Ole Miss at the end of the 2011 season. Malzahn, an Arkansas native, had been the offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2011, and his success at Arkansas State would lead him to return to Auburn the next year, this time as their head coach. He was hired prior to the Red Wolves' bowl game, so Defensive coordinator John Thompson led the team to victory in the bowl game.

Defensive back Don Jones was drafted in the 7th round of the 2013 NFL draft after the season.