Education
He graduated from East Texas State with a bachelor"s degree in business administration in 1970 and later a master"s degree in Higher Education.
He graduated from East Texas State with a bachelor"s degree in business administration in 1970 and later a master"s degree in Higher Education.
He most recently served as head coach at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University–Commerce from 2004–2008. Conley was a standout athlete at Winnsboro High School and accepted a scholarship from the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University in College Station, Texas, where he played on the freshmen varsity in 1966 before transferring to East Texas State (now Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University–Commerce). He then became assistant coach at the high school level
Conley moved up to the collegiate ranks, becoming running backs coach under Tom Wilson at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical in 1980.
After Wilson was fired in 1982, Conley moved on to coach the running backs at the University of Texas at Austin under coach Fred Akers. During the 1980s and early 1990s Conley served as assistant at several Division I-A colleges, before getting his first head coaching position at Trinity Valley in 1996.
In 1997, Conley guided the Cardinals to a perfect 12–0 season, including a Red River Bowl victory over Garden City Community College. Conley left Trinity Valley Central Committee in 1999 for the United States Naval Academy, where he coached the special teams for two years before moving into private business.
In December 2003, Conley was introduced at his alma mater, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical–Commerce as the 17th head football coach after former coach Eddie Brister announced his retirement.
Conley had a tall order as the Lions were coming off their one of their worst seasons in School history and a stagnant offense. Conley brought Valdosta State transfer quarterback Buster Faulkner to Commerce and he led the Lone Star Conference in passing. After finishing 5-5 again in 2008, Conley was relieved of his duties and replaced by former Baylor University coach Guy Morriss.
Conley was named the director of Football operations at the University of in the spring of 2009.
As head coach at Trinity Valley Community College he won a National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship in 1997. In 1977, he served as offensive coordinator on the Plano Senior High School squad that won a 4A state championship. He was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year and American Football Quarterly Junior College Coach of the Year. Conley fielded competitive teams during his tenure in Commerce, but in his 5 years worked for 4 athletic directors and had 4 teams that went 5-5, with the only championship of any kind coming in 2007 as the Lions won the North Division of the Lone Star Conference.
