Brigadier General Azubuike and Coach Garrison to be recognized at Laurels & Stripes in April
Brigadier General Amanda Azubuike
Cliff Garrison
The University of Central Arkansas has selected Brigadier General Amanda Azubuike ’93 and legendary basketball coach Cliff Garrison ’62 to receive 2025 Distinguished Alumni awards at the annual Laurels & Stripes gala on Saturday, April 12.
Azubuike has served in the US Army for more than 36 years. She began her military career as a private in the Army National Guard in 1988 and drilled not far from UCA at Fisher Armory in North Little Rock. She received her commission in 1993 when she graduated from UCA with a bachelor’s degree in communications. She entered flight school graduating in 1995, and began her active-duty career as a UH-1 helicopter pilot with the 924th Aviation Support Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., where she served as platoon leader. She later completed the Fixed-wing Multi-engine Qualification Course and flew the RC-12 Guardrail aircraft. As an aviator, Azubuike served in overseas missions including Sinai, Egypt and South Korea.
In 2005, Azubuike transitioned to public affairs, serving one year in Kuwait, followed by several deployments to the Middle East over the next five years. She earned a Master of Professional Studies in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University in 2012, and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Army War College in 2014.
Azubuike has continued serving the US Army in public affairs roles in locations abroad and at home. Last June, she became Chief of Public Affairs for the US Army, serving at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Azubuike is the only public affairs general in the Army.
Her awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster.
A native of Forrest City, Garrison earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science in 1962 followed by a master’s degree in education in 1965. Garrison is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the UCA Sports Hall of Fame, the Hendrix Sports Hall of Honor and the Forrest City Hall of Fame. He coached men’s basketball at Hendrix from 1972-2003. Including high school, his teams won 578 games, 463 at Hendrix, which made him the third-winningest college coach in the state when he retired. Garrison’s teams won five Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) championships.
Three times he was named AIC Coach of the Year, and twice he was chosen NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year. He is one of only a few men’s college coaches in Arkansas to win over 300 games. As athletic director in the 1990s, he helped lead Hendrix in the transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division III.
After retirement, Garrison helped create the Arkansas High School Basketball Coaches Association, which holds an annual clinic and activities to further the education and development of the state’s coaches. In 2015, Garrison received the Guardians of the Game award in Education by the National Association of Basketball Coaches at the NCAA Final Four.
In 2016, the Cliff Garrison Fellowship of Christian Athletes was organized to provide scholarships to Faulkner County student-athletes. Garrison continues to be involved in helping to raise funds for this program.
Information on Laurels and Stripes including how to purchase tickets, tables and sponsorships can be found at laurelsandstripes.com or reach out to the UCA Division of Advancement at 501-450-3197 or advancement@uca.edu for more information.
