General Robert Neyland passed away nearly 53 years ago and last coached his beloved Tennessee Volunteers more than 60 years ago, yet there are few coaches in American sports history with a legacy as illustrious as his.

Neyland built the Tennessee program from the ground up, and even after he retired from coaching the program would continue to blossom into one of college football’s great traditional powers. He was a war hero, a teacher and most importantly a winner, and fans are reminded of his brilliance every Saturday in the fall when they pile into Neyland Stadium to watch their Volunteers.

But the late coach also made a tremendous impact on a few men in particular during his nearly 30-year coaching career. Because he hasn’t coached a game since the 1952 season, tracking down his entire coaching tree has become quite a daunting task. But there are a few limbs of that tree that stand out through the generations.

Take a look at a few coaches who began their careers as players or assistants for Neyland at Tennessee:

  • John Barnhill: Played guard at Tennessee from 1925-27, the latter two years serving as Neyland’s first two seasons as head coach; assistant coach at Tennessee 1931-40; head coach at Tennessee 1941-45 while Neyland served in World War II; head coach at Arkansas 1946-49; career coaching record of 54-22-5; won 1946 SEC championship at Arkansas; named 1944 SEC Coach of the Year.
  • Bobby Dodd: Played quarterback, tailback and punter at Tennessee from 1928-30; assistant coach at Georgia Tech 1931-44; head coach at Georgia Tech 1945-66; career coaching record of 165-64-8; two ACC championships 1951-52; won 1952 national championship; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
  • Johnny Majors: Played halfback at Tennessee from 1953-56 (Neyland retired from coaching in 1952 but recruited Majors and was still Tennessee’s athletic director for all four years of Majors’ career); assistant coach at Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State from 1957-67; head coach at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee from 1968-1996; career coaching record of 185-137-10; won three SEC championships at Tennessee in 1985, 1989 and 1990; won national championship at Pittsburgh in 1976; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
  • Murray Warmath: Played end at Tennessee from 1932-34; assistant coach at Tennessee, Mississippi State and Army from 1935-51; head coach at Mississippi State and Minnesota 1952-1971; career coaching record of 97-84-10;two Big Ten championships in 1960 and 1967; won 1960 national championship; named 1960 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honoree.
  • Bob Woodruff: Played tackle at Tennessee from 1936-38; assistant coach at Tennessee, Army and Georgia Tech from 1939-46; assistant coach at Tennessee again from 1961-62; head coach at Baylor and Florida from 1947-59; career coaching record of 72-58-8.
  • Bowden Wyatt: Played end at Tennessee 1936-38; assistant coach at Mississippi State 1939-41 and again in 1946; head coach at Wyoming, Arkansas and Tennessee from 1947-62; won Mountain States Conference title in 1949 and 1950; won ACC title in 1956; career coaching record of 99-56-5; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1972 and as a coach in 1997.