Grant Teaff

College coach infobox


Name = Grant Garland Teaff
| ImageWidth =
Caption =
Title =
College =
Conference =
CurrentRecord =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1933|11|12
Birthplace = flagicon|Texas Hermleigh, TX
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
OverallRecord = 128–105–6
Contract =
BowlRecord = 4–4
TournamentRecord =
CFbDWID = 2309
Championships =
Awards = 1974 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
2006 Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
CoachingRecords =
Player = Y
Years = 1953-1954
1955
Team = San Angelo JC
McMurry
Position = LB
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1956
1957-1959
1960-1965
1966-1968
1969-1971
1972-1992
CoachTeams = Lubbock HS (assistant)
McMurry (assistant)
McMurry
Texas Tech (assistant)
Angelo State
Baylor
FootballHOF =
CollegeHOFID =
BBallHOF =

Grant Garland Teaff (born November 12, 1933 in Hermleigh, Texas) is a retired American Football coach, most well-known for his time as the greatest coach Baylor University in Waco, Texas ever had. In 2001, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Teaff's name has a silent "e", and is pronounced "taff".

Early career

Teaff played high school ball at Snyder High School and collegiately at San Angelo Junior College (now Angelo State University), and McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. When McMurry head coach Wilford Moore went on to coach Lubbock High School in 1956, Teaff became his assistant. He than moved on to be an assistant at McMurry from 1957-59.

Teaff began his head coaching career at McMurry in 1960, serving there until 1965. Among his players were later Pittsburgh Steelers split end Dick Compton and later San Diego Chargers offensive lineman Ernie Park. After a stint as an assistant coach to J. T. King at Texas Tech, Teaff became the head coach at Angelo State University from 1969-1971.

Baylor

In 1972, Teaff was hired to resurrect the moribund football team at Baylor University. Baylor originally hired Rudy Feldman from New Mexico, but Feldman quit after one day, leaving the job to Teaff. Baylor had been 7-43-1 in the five seasons preceding Teaff's arrival. Teaff quickly built Baylor into a competitive team and in 1974 Baylor won eight games and captured the Southwest Conference Championship (SWC) for the first time since 1924, and in the process defeated the University of Texas 34-24 (rallying from a 24-7 halftime deficit). It was Baylor's first victory over the Texas Longhorns in 17 years. The 1974 season and the win over Texas are commonly referred to as the “Miracle on the Brazos” (after the Brazos River, near the Baylor campus) and it remains part of Baylor lore.

Teaff remained Baylor's coach until 1992, compiling a winning record and winning the SWC title again in 1980. His teams won the 1979 Peach Bowl, the 1985 Liberty Bowl, the 1986 Bluebonnet Bowl, and the 1992 John Hancock Bowl (better known as the Sun Bowl, his final game as coach). His teams also earned invites to the 1975 and 1981 Cotton Bowls, as well as the 1983 Bluebonnet Bowl and the 1991 Copper Bowl. Teaff's Baylor teams were known for their success against the University of Texas, finishing with a record 10-11 against the Longhorns. For perspective, in the 15 seasons preceding Teaff's arrival and the 15 years following Teaff's departure, Baylor has a 1-29 record against Texas.

Prior to a 38-14 upset win over Texas in 1978, Teaff gained notoriety by eating a live worm in the locker room prior to the game, after telling his players he would “keep the worms warm.”Mark Schlabach, [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3084918 Richt's motivational gamble pays off for Georgia] , ESPN.com, October 29, 2007.]

After retiring from coaching, Teaff in 1993 became executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, an organization (headquartered in Waco) that represents coaches across the nation and is often consulted by the NCAA and the media regarding rule changes and developments that take place in college football.

Teaff's wife Donell (the former Jane Donnell Philips) is a member of the Baylor University Board of Regents.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Baylor Bears
conf = Southwest Conference
startyear = 1972
endyear = 1992CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1972
name = Baylor
overall = 5–6
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1973
name = Baylor
overall = 2–9
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1974
name = Baylor
overall = 8–4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = L
ranking = 14
ranking2 = 14CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1975
name = Baylor
overall = 3–6–2
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1976
name = Baylor
overall = 7–3–1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1977
name = Baylor
overall = 5–6
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1978
name = Baylor
overall = 3–8
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1979
name = Baylor
overall = 8–4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Peach
bowloutcome = W
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1980
name = Baylor
overall = 10–2
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = L
ranking = 15
ranking2 = 14CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1981
name = Baylor
overall = 5–6
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1982
name = Baylor
overall = 4–6–1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1983
name = Baylor
overall = 7–4–1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Bluebonnet
bowloutcome = L
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1984
name = Baylor
overall = 5–6
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1985
name = Baylor
overall = 9–3
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Liberty
bowloutcome = W
ranking = 15
ranking2 = 17CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1986
name = Baylor
overall = 9–3
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Bluebonnet
bowloutcome = W
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1987
name = Baylor
overall = 6–5
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1988
name = Baylor
overall = 6–5
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1989
name = Baylor
overall = 5–6
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1990
name = Baylor
overall = 6–4–1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1991
name = Baylor
overall = 8–4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Copper
bowloutcome = L
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1992
name = Baylor
overall = 7–5
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = John Hancock
bowloutcome = W
ranking = —
ranking2 = —CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Baylor
overall = 128–105–6
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 34–28
bcs = no
poll = two

Awards

*1974 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award

References

External links

* [http://www.baylor.edu/buaa/index.php?id=41593 Baylor.edu: Grant Teaff (1972-92)]