After a year at the University of Central Arkansas, Eckert transferred to Northeastern State University in 1994 to play quarterback under head coach Tom Eckert, his father.
During his two-year stint there, the Broncbusters won 13 games and made a bowl appearance.
Over the next 12 seasons, he led Kilgore to a 72–53 record, two Southwest Junior College Football Conference championships, three regular season conference titles, and five bowl appearances.
[6] Eckert was awarded as Conference Coach of the Year in 2018 after a 10-2 championship season.
[7] In December 2018, Eckert returned to Northeastern State as their 20th head football coach.