Paul W. Bryant
1945-1982
Class 1986
Head Coach
Moro Bottom, AK
9/11/1913-1/26/1983

 

     Paul W. Bryant started his coaching career as an assistant at Alabama 1936-39 and Vanderbilt 1940-41. He was in the US Navy in World War II. Bryant was head coach at Maryland for one year 1945
(6-2-1), Kentucky for eight 1946-53 (60-23-5), Texas A&M for four
1954-57 (25-14-2), and Alabama for 25 years 1958-82 (232-46-9). His career total for 38 years: 323-85-17. His 1950 Kentucky team won that school's first conference championship and knocked off Oklahoma 13-7 in the Sugar Bowl, ending Oklahoma's 31 game winning streak. Bryant's 1956 Texas A&M team won the Southwest Conference.

     Before he became head coach at Alabama, the school had won just four games in three years. Bryant won five games his first year and took his team to the 1959 Liberty Bowl in his second. By 1961 Alabama was National Champions again. He won five more championships in the next 21 years-1964, 1965, 1973, 1978 and 1979. His Alabama teams played in 24 straight bowl games. When he beat Auburn 28-17 on November 28, 1981, it was his 315th win. This topped A.A. Stagg's 314 wins and Bryant was saluted as the all-time winningest coach in college football. In 1997 the US Postal
Service honored Bryant with a 32-cent stamp.