Ralph Jordan

College coach infobox
Name = Shug Jordan


Caption = Ralph "Shug" Jordan
DateOfBirth = Birth date|1910|9|25
Birthplace = Selma, Alabama
DateOfDeath = death date and age|1980|7|17|1910|9|25
Sport = Football, Basketball
College = Auburn
Title = Head Coach
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 176-83-6 (football) 95-77 (basketball)
Awards = 1957 National Coach of the Year
Championships = 1957 Southeastern Conference Champions 1957 AP National Champions
CFbDWID = 1218
Player = Y
Years = 1928-1932
Team = Auburn
Position = C
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1934-1942 (basketball) 1945-1946 (basketball) 1947-1950 (basketball) 1951-75 (football)
CoachTeams = Auburn Auburn Georgia Auburn
FootballHOF = 1982

James Ralph "Shug" Jordan (JORD-an) (September 25, 1910 - July 17, 1980) was the winningest football coach at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. The university's Jordan-Hare Stadium is named in his honor. Jordan was named National Coach of the Year in 1957 when Auburn was voted national champions by the Associated Press.

Born in Selma, Alabama, Jordan was nicknamed "Shug" as a child because of his love for sugar cane. A 1932 graduate of Auburn, he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball while there and was voted the Most Outstanding Athlete in 1932. He was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. After graduation, he became the head basketball coach, and an assistant football coach at Auburn. In ten seasons (1934-42, 1945-1946) as the head basketball coach, he compiled a record of 95-77. Coach Jordan also compiled 45 wins as head basketball coach at Georgia. In addition to being the winningest football coach in Auburn history, Jordan ranks fifth in wins among Tigers basketball coaches.

During World War II, he saw significant action in North Africa and Sicily before being wounded in the invasion of Normandy and receiving a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He continued in action in the Pacific theater after recovering. Jordan served in every major invasion of World War II in which the U.S. Army played a role (North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and Okinawa).

Prior to being hired as Auburn's head football coach in 1951, he spent one season as an assistant coach of the Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference, then four years as an assistant at the University of Georgia. In his first season, he coached the Tigers to a 5-5 record improving on the previous five straight losing seasons. Jordan would lead Auburn to its first SEC championship and its first, and only national championship in 1957.In 1971, Jordan's tutelage led quarterback Pat Sullivan to the Heisman Trophy. However, his Heisman season ended in disappointment with a convincing loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl. The next year, Jordan's Tigers upset heavily-favored, arch-rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl - a victory which became known by the nickname Punt Bama Punt. In 1973, the university renamed Cliff Hare Stadium to Jordan-Hare Stadium in his honor making it the first stadium in the U.S. to be named for an active coach. When Jordan retired after the 1975 season he had amassed an enviable record of 176-83-6 for a .675 percentage and 22 winning seasons out of the 25 he had coached.

Basketball Coaching Record

Head Football Coaching Record

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1951
name = Auburn
overall = 5-5-0
conference = 3-4-0
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1952
name = Auburn
overall = 2-8-0
conference = 0-7-0
confstanding = 12th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1953
name = Auburn
overall = 7-3-1
conference = 4-2-1
confstanding = 4th
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = 17
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1954
name = Auburn
overall = 8-3-0
conference = 3-3-0
confstanding = 6th
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = 13
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1955
name = Auburn
overall = 8-2-1
conference = 5-1-1
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 8
ranking2 = 8
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1956
name = Auburn
overall = 7-3-0
conference = 4-3-0
confstanding = 5th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1957
name = Auburn
overall = 10-0-0
conference = 7-0-0
confstanding = 1st
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = 2
ranking2 = 1
championship = national

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1958
name = Auburn
overall = 9-0-1
conference = 6-0-1
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = 4
ranking2 = 4
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1959
name = Auburn
overall = 7-3-0
conference = 4-3-0
confstanding = 5th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1960
name = Auburn
overall = 8-2-0
conference = 5-2-0
confstanding = 4th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking = 14
ranking2 = 13
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1961
name = Auburn
overall = 6-4-0
conference = 3-4-0
confstanding = 7th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1962
name = Auburn
overall = 6-3-1
conference = 4-3-0
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1963
name = Auburn
overall = 9-2-0
conference = 6-1-0
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 6
ranking2 = 5
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1964
name = Auburn
overall = 6-4-0
conference = 3-3-0
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1965
name = Auburn
overall = 5-5-1
conference = 4-1-1
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Liberty
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1966
name = Auburn
overall = 4-6-0
conference = 1-5-0
confstanding = 8th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1967
name = Auburn
overall = 6-4-0
conference = 3-3-0
confstanding = 7th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1968
name = Auburn
overall = 7-4-0
conference = 4-2-0
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname = Sun
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = 16
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1969
name = Auburn
overall = 8-3-0
conference = 5-2-0
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname = Bluebonnet
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 = 20
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1970
name = Auburn
overall = 9-2-0
conference = 5-2-0
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 9
ranking2 = 10
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1971
name = Auburn
overall = 9-2-0
conference = 5-1-0
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 5
ranking2 = 12
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1972
name = Auburn
overall = 10-1-0
conference = 6-1-0
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 7
ranking2 = 5
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1973
name = Auburn
overall = 6-6-0
conference = 2-5-0
confstanding = 8th
bowlname = Sun
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1974
name = Auburn
overall = 10-2-0
conference = 4-2-0
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 6
ranking2 = 8
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1975
name = Auburn
overall = 3-6-2
conference = 2-4-0
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

Honors and awards

*SEC Coach of the Year - 1953, 1957, 1963, 1972
*Alabama Sports Hall of Fame - 1969
*Alabama Academy of Honor - 1972
*National Football Foundation Hall of Fame - 1982
*Senior Bowl Hall of Fame - 1993

External links

* [http://www.archives.state.al.us/famous/academy/r_jordan.html State of Alabama Archive bio]
* [http://www.waudradio.com/Coach_Ralph_Shug_Jordan_Photos.htm Pictures of Jordan] at WAUD (AM) website
*findagrave|10231 Retrieved on 2008-08-03