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Bowden Wyatt
By Ethan Levine
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Bowden Wyatt was a college football coach for 24 years, including two years at the University of Arkansas and eight years at the University of Tennessee. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame twice – he was inducted as a player in 1972 for his career at Tennessee in the late 30’s, and again as a coach in 1997.
Wyatt began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Mississippi State from 1939-1941 and after World War II returned as an assistant coach at MSU in 1946. Wyatt’s first head coaching job came at the University of Wyoming in 1947. He was hired at Arkansas in 1953 and in two seasons compiled an 11-10 record. After a disappointing 3-7 season in 1953, the Razorbacks rebounded to go 8-3 in 1954, winning the Southwestern Conference and reaching the Cotton Bowl. He was hired the following year at Tennessee, where he went 49-29-4 in eight seasons. His 1956 Volunteers squad won the SEC championship with a 10-1 season, the lone loss coming in the Sugar Bowl. Wyatt passed away in 1969 at the age of 51.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.