Robert Neyland
Neyland from the 1940 Volunteer
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| Sport(s) | Football |
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| Biographical details | |
| Born |
February 17, 1892 Greenville, Texas |
| Died | March 28, 1962 (aged 70) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Playing career | |
| 1913–1916 | Army |
| Position(s) | Lineman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1919–1924 | Army (assistant) |
| 1925 | Tennessee (assistant) |
| 1926–1934 | Tennessee |
| 1936–1940 | Tennessee |
| 1946–1952 | Tennessee |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1936–1941 | Tennessee |
| 1946–1962 | Tennessee |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 173–31–12 |
| Bowls | 2–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 National (1938, 1940, 1950–1951) 2 SoCon (1927, 1932) 5 SEC (1938–1940, 1946, 1951) |
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| Awards | |
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Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1957) 4x SEC Coach of the Year (1936, 1938, 1950–1951) |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1956 (profile) |
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Robert Reese Neyland (pronounced KNEE-land),MBE, (February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach at the University of Tennessee (UT) from 1926 to 1934, 1936 to 1940, and 1946 to 1952. He is one of two college football coaches to have won national titles in two non-consecutive tenures at the same school, along with Frank Leahy of the University of Notre Dame. Neyland holds the record for most wins in Tennessee Volunteers history with 173 wins in 216 games, six undefeated seasons, nine undefeated regular seasons, seven conference championships, and four national championships. At UT, he reeled off undefeated streaks of 33, 28, 23, 19, and 14 games.
Neyland is often referred to as one of the best, if not the best, defensive football coaches ever. Sports Illustrated named Neyland as the defensive coordinator of its all-century college football team in its "Best of the 20th Century" edition. 112 of his victories came via shutout. In 1938 and 1939, Neyland's Vols set NCAA records when they shut out 17 straight opponents for 71 consecutive shutout quarters. His 1939 squad is the last NCAA team in history to hold every regular season opponent scoreless.
Neyland was also an innovator. He is credited with being the first coach to utilize sideline telephones and game film to study opponents. His teams also were some of the first to wear lightweight pads and tearaway jerseys. Such measures increased his players' elusiveness and exemplify Neyland's "speed over strength" philosophy. Neyland is also famous for creating the seven "Game Maxims" of football that many coaches, on all levels, still use. Tennessee players recite the maxims before every game in the locker room as a team.
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Wikipedia