Bowden Wyatt: Vols Legend

A College Football Legend on the Field and the Sidelines

Born October 4, 1917, Bowden Wyatt forged a distinguished career as both a player and a championship-winning head coach before his death on January 21, 1969.

As a player, Wyatt was a Consensus All-American and an All-SEC end for General Robert R. Neyland’s Tennessee Volunteers. He captained the undefeated 1938 team that shut out Oklahoma 17-0 in the Orange Bowl, Tennessee’s first-ever official bowl appearance. Wyatt contributed to that powerhouse Volunteers squad by playing on the defensive line and kicking a field goal in the bowl victory.

Wyatt’s 16-season head coaching career amassed a 99–56–5 overall record and included four conference titles across three different schools:

• Wyoming (1947–1952): He inherited a struggling program and swiftly built it into a contender. His teams won two Skyline Conference championships (1949, 1950), went 10-0 in 1950, and won the 1951 Gator Bowl. His success at Wyoming led to coaching the school’s first two All-Americans.
• Arkansas (1953–1954): In just his second season, Wyatt guided the Razorbacks to the 1954 Southwest Conference Championship.
• Tennessee (1955–1962): Returning to his alma mater, he led the Vols to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship in 1956, earning National Coach of the Year. His Volunteers finished that season ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll. His most memorable moment was the 14-13 upset of No. 1 LSU in 1959, which ended the Tigers’ 18-game win streak after stopping eventual Heisman winner Billy Cannon’s two-point conversion attempt.

Wyatt is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, a rare distinction he holds as one of only a few individuals to be inducted as both a player (1972) and a coach (1997). [National Football Foundation]

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