Jerry Claiborne
Claiborne, circa 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
1946, 1948–1949Kentucky
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless 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
1 SoCon (1963)
3 ACC (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 American college football player and coach. He was the head football coach at Virginia Tech (1961–1970), the University of Maryland, College Park (1972–1981), and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky (1982–1989), compiling a career head coaching record of 179–122–8 (.592). Claiborne was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1999.

Early years

Claiborne attended the Hopkinsville High School and the University of Kentucky and was named the College of Education's Outstanding Senior. Claiborne played halfback under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Kentucky.

In 1950, he became the head football and basketball coach at Augusta Military Academy in Fort 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 to Texas A&M and Alabama before he moved up to become a head coach.

Head coach

Virginia Tech

Claiborne was head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1961 through 1970, with an overall record of 61–39–2 (.608).[3] Claiborne's legacy was carried on by Frank 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 the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.

For one season in 1971, Claiborne was the defensive coordinator (and assistant head coach) at the University of Colorado under Eddie Crowder.[1][2] The third-ranked Buffaloes went 10–2, behind the teams they lost to (both on the road): undefeated national champion Nebraska and #2 Oklahoma, an unprecedented sweep of the top three slots by the Big Eight Conference.[4]

Maryland

When Claiborne was hired at the University of Maryland in 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 in 1976, before losing to Houston in the Cotton Bowl. For six consecutive seasons beginning in 1973, the Terrapins appeared in bowl games, and added another in 1980. During this run, Maryland won three straight ACC titles (1974, 1975, 1976).

Kentucky

In December 1981, Claiborne followed in the footsteps of Bear Bryant and went from College Park to Lexington, Kentucky; the home of the University 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 coach Fran Curci.

After starting with a winless record of 0–10–1 in 1982, Claiborne reached bowl games in his next two seasons, posting records of 6–5–1 in 1983 and 9–3 in 1984, after which the Wildcats were ranked nineteenth in the final AP poll. The Wildcats' win in the Hall of Fame Classic over Wisconsin was UK's last bowl win for 22 years, until the Music City Bowl victory over Clemson in 2006. Claiborne did not get to another bowl, getting no closer than 5–5–1 in 1986 and 6–5 in 1989, 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

In 1992, Claiborne became the head coach of the Braunschweig 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

  • Claiborne coached four Academic All-Americans and eighty-seven all-conference academics.
  • Named the nation's Coach of the Year by the Sporting News in 1974.
  • Named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 1983.
  • Claiborne's Kentucky team won the College Football Association Academic 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 the Neyland Trophy, which is presented annually to a coach "who has contributed greatly to intercollegiate athletics" [7]
  • In 1999 the Lexington, Kentucky's chapter of the National Football Foundation was 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

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
VPI Gobblers (Southern Conference) (1961–1964)
1961 VPI 4–52–37th
1962 VPI 5–52–36th
1963 VPI 8–25–01st
1964 VPI 6–43–12nd
VPI / Virginia Tech Gobblers (NCAA University Division independent) (1965–1970)
1965 VPI 7–3
1966 VPI 8–2–1L Liberty20
1967 VPI 7–3
1968 VPI 7–4L Liberty
1969 VPI 4–5–1
1970 Virginia Tech 5–6
VPI / Virginia Tech: 61–39–212–7
Maryland Terrapins (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1972–1981)
1972 Maryland 5–5–13–2–13rd
1973 Maryland 8–45–12ndL Peach1820
1974 Maryland 8–46–01stL Liberty1313
1975 Maryland 9–2–15–01stW Gator1113
1976 Maryland 11–15–01stL Cotton118
1977 Maryland 8–44–2T–3rdW Hall of Fame Classic
1978 Maryland 9–35–12ndL Sun20
1979 Maryland 7–44–2T–2nd
1980 Maryland 8–45–12ndL Tangerine
1981 Maryland 4–6–14–23rd
Maryland: 77–37–346–11–1
Kentucky Wildcats (Southeastern Conference) (1982–1989)
1982 Kentucky 0–10–10–6T–8th
1983 Kentucky 6–5–12–44thL Hall of Fame Classic
1984 Kentucky 9–33–3T–4thW Hall of Fame Classic1919
1985 Kentucky 5–61–57th
1986 Kentucky 5–5–12–4T–4th
1987 Kentucky 5–61–5T–7th
1988 Kentucky 5–62–5T–8th
1989 Kentucky 6–52–5T–7th
Kentucky: 41–46–313–37
Total:179–122–8
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Colorado hires Claiborne". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. January 23, 1971. p. 17.
  2. 1 2 "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". www.knoxqbclub.com. 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
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