- Bud Wilkinson
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Bud Wilkinson Bud Wilkinson (right) with President John F. Kennedy, during a 1961 visit to the White House Sport(s) Football Biographical details Born April 23, 1916 Place of birth Minneapolis, Minnesota Died February 9, 1994 (aged 77) Place of death St. Louis, Missouri Playing career 1934–1936 Minnesota Position(s) Quarterback Coaching career (HC unless noted) 1938–1941
1942
1943
1946
1947–1963
1978–1979Syracuse (assistant)
Minnesota (assistant)
Iowa Pre-Flight (assistant)
Oklahoma (assistant)
Oklahoma
St. Louis CardinalsHead coaching record Overall 145–29–4 (college)
9–20 (NFL)Bowls 8–2 Statistics College Football Data Warehouse Accomplishments and honors Championships 3 National (1950, 1955–1956)
14 Big Eight (1947–1959, 1962)Awards AFCA Coach of the Year (1949)
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1984)College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1969 (profile)Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson (April 23, 1916 – February 9, 1994) was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships (1950, 1955, and 1956) and 14 conference titles. Between 1953 and 1957, Wilkinson's Oklahoma squads won 47 straight games, a record that still stands at the highest level of college football. After retiring from coaching following the 1963 season, Wilkinson entered into politics and, in 1965, became a broadcaster with ABC Sports. He returned to coaching in 1978, helming the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League for two seasons. Wilkinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1969.
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Early life and playing career
Wilkinson's mother died when he was seven, and his father sent him to the Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, Minnesota, where he excelled in five sports and graduated in 1933. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where, as a guard and quarterback for head coach Bernie Bierman, Wilkinson helped lead the Golden Gophers to three consecutive national championships from 1934 to 1936. He also played ice hockey for the University of Minnesota. Following his graduation in 1937 with a degree in English, he led the College All-Stars to a 6–0 victory over the defending NFL champion Green Bay Packers in Chicago on August 31.
Coaching career
Wilkinson briefly worked for his father's mortgage company, then became an assistant coach at Syracuse University and later back at his alma mater, Minnesota. In 1943, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he was an assistant to Don Faurot with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football team and served as a hangar deck officer on the USS Enterprise. Following World War II, Jim Tatum, the new head coach at the University of Oklahoma, persuaded Wilkinson to join his staff in 1946. In fact, the OU Board of Regents stipulated that Tatum make Wilkinson his top assistant, or else their offer was null and void.[citation needed] After one season in Norman, Tatum left the Sooners for the University of Maryland. The 31-year-old Wilkinson was named head football coach and athletic director of the Sooners.
Head coach at Oklahoma
In his first season as head coach in 1947, Wilkinson led Oklahoma to a 7–2–1 record and a share of the conference championship, the first of 13 consecutive Big Six/Seven/Eight Conference titles. Ultimately, Wilkinson would become one of the most celebrated college coaches of all time. His teams captured national championships in 1950, 1955, and 1956, and amassed a 145–29–4 (.826) overall record. An organized innovator, Wilkinson would post practice schedules that were broken down to the minute.[citation needed]
The centerpiece of his time in Norman was a 47-game winning streak from 1953 to 1957, an NCAA Division I record that still stands today and has only been seriously threatened three times: by Toledo (35 wins, 1969–1971), Miami (FL) (34 wins, 2000–2003), and USC (34 wins, 2003–2005). Earlier, the Sooners ran off 31 consecutive wins from 1948 to 1950. Except for two losses in 1951, the Wilkinson-coached Sooners did not lose more than one game per season for 11 years between 1948 and 1958, going 107–8–2 over that period. His teams also went 12 consecutive seasons totaling 74 games (1947–1958) without a loss in conference play, a streak which has never been seriously threatened. Wilkinson did not suffer his first conference loss until 1959 against Nebraska, his 79th conference game.
Wilkinson's 1955 Oklahoma team is widely considered to be one of the greatest teams in college football history, regardless of era.[citation needed] He was also the first collegiate football coach to host a television show, aptly named The Bud Wilkinson Show.[citation needed] Wilkinson was also remarkable for compiling this record while showing a genuine interest and concern for the performance of his players in the classroom.[citation needed] Following the 1963 season, his 17th at Oklahoma, Wilkinson retired from coaching at the age of 47. Along with Bennie Owen, Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops, he is one of four football coaches to win over 100 games at the University of Oklahoma. No other college football program has had more than three coaches to accomplish the feat. While at Oklahoma, Wilkinson served on the President's Council on Physical Fitness from 1961 to 1964.
Later life and return to coaching
Wilkinson ran as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in 1964, at which point he legally changed his first name to Bud, but lost to Democrat Fred R. Harris. He served as Republican National Committeeman from Oklahoma, and was considered for the post of chairman of the Committee by Richard Nixon, but was not selected.[citation needed]
In 1965, Wilkinson joined ABC Sports as their lead color commentator on college football telecasts, teaming with Chris Schenkel and, later, Keith Jackson. Wilkinson was the color analyst for three of the greatest games in college football history, each commonly referred to as a "Game of the Century": Notre Dame vs. Michigan State in 1966, Texas vs. Arkansas in 1969, and Nebraska vs. Oklahoma in 1971. Wilkinson is still considered one of the best color commentators of all time because of his solid analysis and in-depth insight.[citation needed]
Wilkinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1978, Wilkinson returned to coaching with the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL. After less than two disappointing seasons, he was fired and returned to broadcasting with ESPN.
Wilkinson suffered a series of minor strokes and, on February 9, 1994, he died of congestive heart failure in St. Louis at the age of 77.
Personal life
Wilkinson was married to the former Mary Schifflet in 1938, with whom he had two sons, Pat and Jay. They divorced in 1975. A year later, he married Donna O'Donnahue, 33 years his junior, who survived him in death.
Head coaching record
College
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP° Oklahoma Sooners (Big Six/Big Seven/Big Eight Conference) (1947–1963) 1947 Oklahoma 7–2–1 4–0–1 1st 16 1948 Oklahoma 10–1 5–0 1st W Sugar 5 1949 Oklahoma 11–0 5–0 1st W Sugar 2 1950 Oklahoma 10–1 6–0 1st L Sugar 1 1 1951 Oklahoma 8–2 6–0 1st 11 10 1952 Oklahoma 8–1–1 5–0–1 1st 4 4 1953 Oklahoma 9–1–1 6–0 1st W Orange 5 4 1954 Oklahoma 10–0 6–0 1st 3 3 1955 Oklahoma 11–0 6–0 1st W Orange 1 1 1956 Oklahoma 10–0 6–0 1st 1 1 1957 Oklahoma 10–1 6–0 1st W Orange 4 4 1958 Oklahoma 10–1 7–0 1st W Orange 5 5 1959 Oklahoma 7–3 6–1 1st 15 15 1960 Oklahoma 3–6–1 2–4–1 5th 1961 Oklahoma 5–5 4–3 4th 1962 Oklahoma 8–3 7–0 1st L Orange 7 8 1963 Oklahoma 8–2 6–1 2nd 8 9 Oklahoma: 145–29–4 93–9–3 Total: 145–29–4 National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.References
External links
- Bud Wilkinson at the College Football Hall of Fame
- Bud Wilkinson at the College Football Data Warehouse
- Bud Wilkinson at the Internet Movie Database
- Bud Wilkinson at Find a Grave
- ESPN Classic biography
Oklahoma Sooners head football coaches John A. Harts (1895) • No coach (1896) • Vernon Louis Parrington (1897–1900) • Fred Roberts (1901) • Mark McMahon (1902–1903) • Fred Ewing (1904) • Bennie Owen (1905–1926) • Adrian Lindsey (1927–1931) • Lewie Hardage (1932–1934) • Biff Jones (1935–1936) • Thomas E. Stidham (1937–1940) • Dewey Luster (1941–1945) • Jim Tatum (1946) • Bud Wilkinson (1947–1963) • Gomer Jones (1964–1965) • Jim MacKenzie (1966) • Chuck Fairbanks (1967–1972) • Barry Switzer (1973–1988) • Gary Gibbs (1989–1994) • Howard Schnellenberger (1995) • John Blake (1996–1998) • Bob Stoops (1999– )
Chicago / St. Louis / Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals head coaches Paddy Driscoll (1920–1922) • Arnold Horween (1923–1924) • Norman Barry (1925–1926) • Guy Chamberlin (1927) • Fred Gillies (1928) • Dewey Scanlon (1929) • Ernie Nevers (1930–1931) • LeRoy Andrews (1931) • Jack Chevigny (1932) • Paul J. Schissler (1933–1934) • Milan Creighton (1935–1938) • Ernie Nevers (1939) • Jimmy Conzelman (1940–1942) • Phil Handler (1943–1945) • Jimmy Conzelman (1946–1948) • Phil Handler & Buddy Parker (1949) • Buddy Parker (1949) • Curly Lambeau (1950–1951) • Phil Handler & Cecil Isbell (1951) • Cecil Isbell (1951) • Joe Kuharich (1952) • Joe Stydahar (1953–1954) • Ray Richards (1955–1957) • Pop Ivy (1958–1961) • Chuck Drulis, Ray Prochaska, & Ray Willsey (1961) • Wally Lemm (1962–1965) • Charley Winner (1966–1970) • Bob Hollway (1971–1972) • Don Coryell (1973–1977) • Bud Wilkinson (1978–1979) • Larry Wilson (1979) • Jim Hanifan (1980–1985) • Gene Stallings (1986–1989) • Hank Kuhlmann (1989) • Joe Bugel (1990–1993) • Buddy Ryan (1994–1995) • Vince Tobin (1996–2000) • Dave McGinnis (2000–2003) • Dennis Green (2004–2006) • Ken Whisenhunt (2007– )
Oklahoma Sooners Football 1950 Consensus National Champions Bert Clark | Eddie Crowder | Leon Heath | John Reddell | Billy Vessels | Jim Weatherall
Head Coach Bud WilkinsonOklahoma Sooners Football 1955 Consensus National Champions Bill Krisher | Tommy McDonald | Dennit Morris | Clendon Thomas | Jerry Tubbs
Head Coach Bud WilkinsonOklahoma Sooners Football 1956 Consensus National Champions Dave Baker | Bob Harrison | Bill Krisher | Tommy McDonald | Dennit Morris | Clendon Thomas | Jerry Tubbs
Head Coach Bud WilkinsonAFCA Division I FBS Coach of the Year winners 1935: Waldorf | 1936: Harlow | 1937: Mylin | 1938: Kern | 1939: Anderson | 1940: Shaughnessy | 1941: Leahy | 1942: Alexander | 1943: Stagg | 1944: Widdoes | 1945: McMillin | 1946: Blaik | 1947: Crisler | 1948: Oosterbaan | 1949: Wilkinson | 1950: Caldwell | 1951: Taylor | 1952: Munn | 1953: Tatum | 1954: Sanders | 1955: Daugherty | 1956: Wyatt | 1957: Hayes | 1958: Dietzel | 1959: Schwartzwalder | 1960: Warmath | 1961: Bryant | 1962: McKay | 1963: Royal | 1964: Broyles & Parseghian | 1965: Prothro | 1966: Cahill | 1967: Pont | 1968: Paterno | 1969: Schembechler | 1970: McClendon & Royal | 1971: Bryant | 1972: McKay | 1973: Bryant | 1974: Teaff | 1975: Kush | 1976: Majors | 1977: James | 1978: Paterno | 1979: Bruce | 1980: Dooley | 1981: Ford | 1982: Paterno | 1983: Hatfield | 1984: Edwards | 1985: DeBerry | 1986: Paterno | 1987: MacPherson | 1988: Nehlen | 1989: McCartney | 1990: Ross | 1991: B. Lewis | 1992: Stallings | 1993: Alvarez | 1994: Osborne | 1995: Barnett | 1996: Br. Snyder | 1997: Carr | 1998: Fulmer | 1999: Beamer | 2000: Stoops | 2001: Coker & Friedgen | 2002: Tressel | 2003: Carroll | 2004: Tuberville | 2005: Paterno | 2006: Grobe | 2007: Mangino | 2008: Whittingham | 2009: Patterson | 2010: Kelly
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award winners 1940: Donald Herring, Jr. | 1941: Butch Cowell† | 1942–1945 No award given | 1946: Grantland Rice | 1947: William Alexander | 1948: Gil Dobie, Glenn Scobey Warner & Robert Zuppke | 1949: Dick Harlow | 1950 No award given | 1951: Tuss McLaughry | 1952: Bo McMillin | 1953: Lou Little | 1954: Dana X. Bible | 1955: Joseph J. Tomlin | 1956 No award given | 1957: Robert Neyland | 1958: Bernie Bierman | 1959: John Wilce | 1960: Harvey Harman | 1961: Ray Eliot | 1962: Elton Wieman | 1963: Andrew Kerr | 1964: Don Faurot | 1965: Harry Stuhldreher | 1966: Bernie Moore | 1967: Jess Neely | 1968: Abe Martin | 1969: Rip Engle | 1970: Pappy Waldorf | 1971: William D. Murray | 1972: Jack Curtice | 1973: Lloyd Jordan | 1974: Jake Gaither | 1975: Gerald B. Zornow | 1976 No award given | 1977: Ben Schwartzwalder | 1978: Tom Hamilton | 1979: Fritz Crisler | 1980 No award given | 1981: Fred Russell | 1982: Eddie Robinson | 1983: Bear Bryant | 1984: Bud Wilkinson | 1985: Duffy Daugherty | 1986: Woody Hayes | 1987: Field Scovell | 1988: Herb McCracken | 1989: David M. Nelson | 1990: Len Casanova | 1991: Bob Blackman | 1992: Charles McClendon | 1993: Keith Jackson | 1994: Bob Devaney | 1995: John Merritt† | 1996: Chuck Neinas | 1997: Ara Parseghian | 1998: Bob Reade | 1999: Bo Schembechler | 2000: Tom Osborne | 2001: Vince Dooley | 2002: Joe Paterno | 2003: LaVell Edwards | 2004: Ron Schipper | 2005: Hayden Fry | 2006: Grant Teaff | 2007: Bill Curry | 2008: Bill Walsh† | 2009: John Gagliardi | 2010: Darrell Royal| 2011: Bobby Bowden
† Denotes posthumous selectionCategories:- 1916 births
- 1994 deaths
- University of Minnesota alumni
- National Football League head coaches
- American football quarterbacks
- Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football coaches
- Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
- Minnesota Golden Gophers football players
- St. Louis Cardinals head coaches
- Syracuse Orange football coaches
- Oklahoma Sooners athletic directors
- Oklahoma Sooners football coaches
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- College football announcers
- People from Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Players of American football from Minnesota
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