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Jerry Claiborne

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Jerry Claiborne
Claiborne,c. 1975
Biographical details
Born(1928-08-26)August 26, 1928
Hopkinsville, Kentucky,U.S.
DiedSeptember 24, 2000(2000-09-24)(aged 72)
Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.
Playing career
1946Kentucky
1948–1949Kentucky
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HCunless noted)
1954–1957Texas A&M(assistant)
1958–1960Alabama(assistant)
1961–1970Virginia Tech
1971Colorado(DC)[1][2]
1972–1981Maryland
1982–1989Kentucky
Head coaching record
Overall179–122–8
Bowls3–8
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1SoCon(1963)
3ACC(1974–1976)
Awards
Sporting News College Football COY(1974)
3×ACC Coach of the Year(1973, 1975–1976)
SEC Coach of the Year(1983)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1999 (profile)

Jerry David Claiborne(August 26, 1928 – September 24, 2000) was an Americancollege footballplayer and coach. He was the head football coach atVirginia Tech(1961–1970), theUniversity of Maryland, College Park(1972–1981), and his alma mater, theUniversity of Kentucky(1982–1989), compiling a career head coaching record of 179–122–8 (.592). Claiborne was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fameas a coach in 1999.

Early years

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Claiborne attended theHopkinsville High Schooland theUniversity of Kentuckyand was named the College of Education's Outstanding Senior. Claiborne played halfback under legendary coachPaul "Bear" Bryantat the University of Kentucky.

In 1950, he became the head football and basketball coach atAugusta Military AcademyinFort Defiance,Augusta County, Virginia.His teams won the Virginia State basketball championship in 1950 and the football championship in 1951. The following year, he left to become Bryant's assistant coach at Kentucky, following Bryant in the same capacity toTexas A&MandAlabamabefore he moved up to become a head coach.

Head coach

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Virginia Tech

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Claiborne was head coach atVirginia Polytechnic Institutefrom1961through1970,with an overall record of 61–39–2 (.608).[3]Claiborne's legacy was carried on byFrank Beamer,who played for Claiborne at Virginia Tech. Beamer built the program into a powerhouse in the mid-1990s. Claiborne's contributions to Tech's football program earned him a place in theVirginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.

For one season in1971,Claiborne was thedefensive coordinator(and assistant head coach) at theUniversity of ColoradounderEddie Crowder.[1][2]Thethird-rankedBuffaloes went 10–2, behind the teams they lost to (both on the road): undefeatednational championNebraskaand #2Oklahoma,an unprecedented sweep of the top three slots by theBig Eight Conference.[4]

Maryland

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When Claiborne was hired at theUniversity of Marylandin December 1971,[5]the Terrapins had only won nine games in the previous five seasons. Claiborne led the Terps to a winning season after only his second year with the team. He posted a 77–37–3 (.671) record in his decade at Maryland, including an undefeated regular season in1976,before losing toHoustonin theCotton Bowl.For six consecutive seasons beginning in1973,the Terrapins appeared in bowl games, and added another in1980.During this run, Maryland won three straightACC titles(1974, 1975, 1976).

Kentucky

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In December 1981, Claiborne followed in the footsteps of Bear Bryant and went fromCollege ParktoLe xing ton, Kentucky;the home of theUniversity of Kentucky.[6]In Claiborne's case, Kentucky was his alma mater. UK had incurred four straight losing seasons and offered Claiborne the position largely to help clean up a program racked by numerous recruiting violations during the tenure of previous head coachFran Curci.

After starting with a winless record of 0–10–1 in1982,Claiborne reached bowl games in his next two seasons, posting records of 6–5–1 in1983and 9–3 in1984,after which the Wildcats were ranked nineteenth in thefinal AP poll.The Wildcats' win in theHall of Fame ClassicoverWisconsinwas UK's last bowl win for 22 years, until theMusic City Bowlvictory overClemsonin2006.Claiborne did not get to another bowl, getting no closer than 5–5–1 in1986and 6–5 in1989,and then retired. Due in part to his role in cleaning up the program's image, he remained in the good graces of Kentucky fans; his eight-season record was 41–46–3 (.472).

Europe

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In 1992, Claiborne became the head coach of theBraunschweig Lions,and then German Division II Football team in Germany. During his one-year stay he laid the foundation for an organization, that became a European football powerhouse.

Significant achievements

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  • Claiborne coached four AcademicAll-Americansand eighty-seven all-conference academics.
  • Named the nation's Coach of the Year by theSporting Newsin 1974.
  • NamedSoutheastern ConferenceCoach of the Year in 1983.
  • Claiborne's Kentucky team won theCollege Football AssociationAcademic Achievement Award for the highest graduation rate of 90% in 1989.
  • The University of Kentucky named Claiborne into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 1992.
  • In 1994, Claiborne received theNeyland Trophy,which is presented annually to a coach "who has contributed greatly to intercollegiate athletics "[7]
  • In 1999 the Le xing ton, Kentucky's chapter of theNational Football Foundationwas named after Claiborne.
  • Retired with a lifetime record of 179–122–8, ranking him fourth among active college coaches in victories when he retired.

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Virginia Tech Gobblers(Southern Conference)(1961–1964)
1961 Virginia Tech 4–5 2–3 7th
1962 Virginia Tech 5–5 2–3 6th
1963 Virginia Tech 8–2 5–0 1st
1964 Virginia Tech 6–4 3–1 2nd
Virginia Tech Gobblers(NCAA University Division independent)(1965–1970)
1965 Virginia Tech 7–3
1966 Virginia Tech 8–2–1 LLiberty 20
1967 Virginia Tech 7–3
1968 Virginia Tech 7–4 LLiberty
1969 Virginia Tech 4–5–1
1970 Virginia Tech 5–6
Virginia Tech: 61–39–2 12–7
Maryland Terrapins(Atlantic Coast Conference)(1972–1981)
1972 Maryland 5–5–1 3–2–1 3rd
1973 Maryland 8–4 5–1 2nd LPeach 18 20
1974 Maryland 8–4 6–0 1st LLiberty 13 13
1975 Maryland 9–2–1 5–0 1st WGator 11 13
1976 Maryland 11–1 5–0 1st LCotton 11 8
1977 Maryland 8–4 4–2 T–3rd WHall of Fame Classic
1978 Maryland 9–3 5–1 2nd LSun 20
1979 Maryland 7–4 4–2 T–2nd
1980 Maryland 8–4 5–1 2nd LTangerine
1981 Maryland 4–6–1 4–2 3rd
Maryland: 77–37–3 46–11–1
Kentucky Wildcats(Southeastern Conference)(1982–1989)
1982 Kentucky 0–10–1 0–6 T–8th
1983 Kentucky 6–5–1 2–4 4th LHall of Fame Classic
1984 Kentucky 9–3 3–3 T–4th WHall of Fame Classic 19 19
1985 Kentucky 5–6 1–5 7th
1986 Kentucky 5–5–1 2–4 T–4th
1987 Kentucky 5–6 1–5 T–7th
1988 Kentucky 5–6 2–5 T–8th
1989 Kentucky 6–5 2–5 T–7th
Kentucky: 41–46–3 13–37
Total: 179–122–8
National championshipConference titleConference division title or championship game berth

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"Colorado hires Claiborne".Wilmington Morning Star.(North Carolina). UPI. January 23, 1971. p. 17.
  2. ^ab"Crowder quits as Buff coach".Eugene Register-Guard.(Oregon). Associated Press. December 23, 1973. p. 5C.
  3. ^"Claiborne resigns, cites lack of backing in 2nd half".Free Lance-Star.(Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. November 25, 1970. p. 9.
  4. ^"Huskers solid No. 1".Reading Eagle.(Pennsylvania). Associated Press. January 4, 1972. p. 20.
  5. ^"Maryland hires Jerry Claiborne".Free Lance-Star.(Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. December 11, 1971. p. 9.
  6. ^"Kentucky selects Claiborne".Wilmington Morning Star.(North Carolina). Associated Press. December 17, 1981. p. 1D.
  7. ^"General Robert R Neyland Trophy".knoxqbclub.2017.RetrievedApril 19,2017.
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