Tommy Prothro
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| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
July 20, 1920 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Died | May 14, 1995 (aged 74) Memphis, Tennessee |
| Playing career | |
| 1938–1941 | Duke |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1942 | Western Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1946–1948 | Vanderbilt (assistant) |
| 1949–1954 | UCLA (assistant) |
| 1955–1964 | Oregon State |
| 1965–1970 | UCLA |
| 1971–1972 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1974–1978 | San Diego Chargers |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1979–1981 | Cleveland Browns (dir. pro personnel) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 104–55–5 (college) 35–51–2 (NFL) |
| Bowls | 2–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 PCC (1956–1957) 2 AAWU (1964–1965) |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1991 (profile) |
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James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. (July 20, 1920 – May 14, 1995) was an American football coach.
He was the head coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5 (.649).
Prothro moved to the professional ranks of the National Football League (NFL) in 1971 as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, a position he held for two seasons. He then coached the San Diego Chargers from 1974 to 1978, tallying a career NFL mark of 35–51–2 (.409). Prothro was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1991.
Prothro, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, was the son of major league baseball player and manager Doc Prothro, who played for three teams between 1920 and 1926, then managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1939 to 1941 before buying the minor league Memphis Chicks. His uncle, Clifton B. Cates, was commandant of the United States Marine Corps from 1948 to 1952.
The younger Prothro found his niche in football, starting out as a quarterback for Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils. In 1941, Prothro's versatility on the field helped him win the Jacobs award as the best blocker in the Southern Conference as the Blue Devils reached the 1942 Rose Bowl. During his time at the school, Prothro also competed in baseball and lacrosse, and graduated from the school in 1942 with a degree in political science.
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