Democrat-Gazette’s Davenport on longtime trainer passing away

Fayetteville, Ark. – Longtime University of Arkansas Head Athletics Trainer and Razorback Foundation assistant director Dean Weber died on Tuesday in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the age of 78.

For more than a half century, Weber provided dedicated service to the University of Arkansas and the Razorback Foundation, providing care for thousands of Razorback student-athletes as a Hall of Fame athletics trainer before continuing to serve the athletics department and former Arkansas student-athletes in his role with the Razorback Foundation.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a true Razorback legend in Dean Weber,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “For more than 50 years, Dean has been dedicated to the University of Arkansas and the student-athletes who donned the Razorback uniform. While his accomplishments were many, his true legacy is in the thousands of relationships he formed with student-athletes, coaches, administrators and colleagues. He made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dean’s sons Matt and Ben and all those who were blessed to know and love Dean Weber.”

Weber found his life’s calling of athletic training in high school. His career as an athletic trainer began during his high school years in Fairfax, Va., and continued into his college days at Bridgewater (Va.) College, where he graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

His first full-time job came as an assistant athletics trainer at the University of North Carolina. Weber spent five years with the Tar Heels, working alongside legendary UNC men’s basketball coach Dean Smith. In 1973 when the University of Arkansas had an opening for an athletics trainer, Smith asked Weber if he was interested in the job. One phone call later, Weber had landed the job that would help define the course of the rest of his life.

Weber spent more than 35 years as the Head Athletics Trainer after arriving at the University of Arkansas in 1973, following in the legendary footsteps of Bill “Groundhog” Ferrell. In his time at Arkansas, Weber worked with numerous legendary coaches, including Frank Broyles, Eddie Sutton, Lou Holtz, Nolan Richardson, Ken Hatfield, Norm DeBriyn, John McDonnell, Danny Ford and Houston Nutt.

In addition to his athletic training duties, he oversaw the operations of the training room, administration, coordination of the travel schedule and details associated with Arkansas’ football team and for organizing the team travel party’s travel and nutritional needs while away from campus. In his tenure, Weber worked more than 420-consecutive Razorback football games.

Weber was a driving force behind the University of Arkansas Athletic Training Educational Program, the first in Arkansas to offer a Master’s degree in Athletic Training. A Most Distinguished Graduate Athletic Training Award and Scholarship was endowed in Weber’s honor within the UA College of Education and Health Professions by the 1979 Razorback football senior class.

During his 35-year tenure in that position, he won numerous awards and honors. Weber was a 1998 inductee into the Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. In the same year, he and former assistant Kevin Pitts, were recognized by the same organization as the Arkansas Athletic Trainers of the Year.

His professional career brought Weber national recognition for his work with athletic shoes as they apply to playing surfaces and for his research on turf toe injuries.

In 1984, Weber was selected to the United States Olympic Team as athletic trainer after previously serving on the athletic training staff at the National Sports Festival three times.

He participated in 26 bowl games as an athletic trainer, including every Razorback bowl game from the 1976 Cotton Bowl to the 2008 Cotton Bowl. In addition, Weber was twice on the athletic training staff at the Japan Bowl and worked with teams that advanced to the NCAA Final Four twice while he was at North Carolina.

Weber was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Honor in 2000 and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. Weber is also a member of the Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. In 2006, Weber was awarded the Tim Kerin Award for Excellence in Athletic Training by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

In 2008, Weber took on a new role as the Director of Equipment Operations. In that role, Weber oversaw all equipment operations for all 19 Razorback programs. In 2014, Weber joined the Razorback Foundation as an assistant director. He worked directly in the engagement of former Razorback student-athletes including their involvement in the A Club (for Razorback letterwinners) and the Razorback Foundation Century Circle program. He also assisted in coordinating some of the Razorback Foundation’s signature events including the UA Sports Hall of Honor, the A Club Spring Reunion Weekend and Razorback Clubs. He also helped organize and host the A Club room and A Club tailgate at home football games.

On April 9, 2022, the football athletics training rooms at both Razorback Stadium and the Fred W. Smith Football Center were named in honor of Weber and Ferrell.

A celebration of life will be held on April 13 at 4 p.m. inside Bud Walton Arena. The celebration coincides with the A Club Spring Reunion scheduled for that weekend. Weber was a driving force in the A Club and loved reunion weekends when former student-athletes returned to campus.

The family requests memorial tributes be made to the Dean Weber Endowed Athletic Training Scholarship Fund within the UA College of Education and Health Professions.