Growing up in Lake Village, David Alpe developed a passion for the game of football at a young age. After a great high school career in which he scored 39 touchdowns his senior season, Alpe accepted a full ride to Southern Arkansas University where he was named All-AIC three times (1959-61) and inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2013. He accepted his first assistant coaching position fresh out of college in 1962 at Little Rock Catholic under the legendary Mike Malham Sr. where he stayed until 1965. He spent one season at Helena while contemplating going into the irrigation business before accepting his first and last head coaching position at Malvern. There he would spend 36 years winning 239 games, 16 conference titles, and a state championship in 1993 before retiring in 2001.