Bowden Wyatt

Bio

Bowden Wyatt was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1972 and as a coach in 1997. He became the third man to be elected in both categories. In this respect he followed A.A. Stagg and Bobby Dodd. He played end for Tennessee 1936-38 and in his senior year was captain and All-America. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Mississippi State 1939-41. Wyatt served in the Navy in World War II as a lieutenant and went back to Mississippi State as assistant in 1946. He was head coach at Wyoming 1947-52. His 1949 and 1950 teams won Skyline Conference championships. The 1950 team went to the Gator Bowl, beating Washington & Lee 20-7, and finished with a 10-0 record. Wyatt moved to Arkansas, and his second team, in 1954, won the Southwest Conference. In 1955, Wyatt became head coach at his alma mater, Tennessee. In 1956, the team won the Southeastern Conference, and Wyatt was named Coach of the Year. He stayed at Tennessee through 1962 . His 16-year record as head coach was 99-56-5, .634. Wyatt was at Oklahoma State as an assistant 1964-65, then returned to his home town Kingston, Tennessee, as a cattle rancher.