 Hudspeth, circa 1964 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-09-14)September 14, 1931 Cherryvale, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | June 23, 2015(2015-06-23) (aged 83) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1950–1952 | Tulsa |
| Position | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953 | Norman HS (OK) (assistant) |
| 1956 | Tulsa Central HS (OK) (assistant) |
| 1957–1960 | Tulsa (assistant) |
| 1961–1963 | Calgary Stampeders (assistant) |
| 1964–1971 | BYU |
| 1972 | UTEP (OC) |
| 1972–1973 | UTEP |
| 1974 | Chicago Fire (OB) |
| 1976–1977 | Detroit Lions |
| 1981 | Toronto Argonauts |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1974–1975 | Detroit Lions (scout) |
| 1975–1976 | Detroit Lions (CPS) |
| 1979–1981 | Toronto Argonauts (GM) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 40–56–1 (college) 11–13 (NFL) 2–4 (CFL) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1WAC (1965) | |
| Awards | |
| WAC Coach of the Year (1965) | |
Tommy Joe Hudspeth (September 14, 1931 – June 23, 2015) was anAmerican andCanadian football coach and executive at both the collegiate and professional levels. He was the head coach atBrigham Young University (BYU) from 1964 to 1971, and theUniversity of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 1972 through 1973, compiling an overallcollege football record of 40–56–1. Hudspeth served in the same capacity for theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL) from 1976 until 1977, andToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL) in 1981, posting a mark of 13–17.
Hudspeth graduated from theUniversity of Tulsa in 1953 after completing his playing career at the school. He moved into the coaching ranks that fall as an assistant coach atNorman High School inOklahoma, then served the next two years in the military. Upon his release, he accepted an assistant position atTulsa Central High School in 1956. Returning to his alma mater the following year, Hudspeth served as an assistant for the next four years, then moved up north to theCanadian Football League (CFL), working in a similar capacity with theCalgary Stampeders from 1961 to 1963.
In 1964, Hudspeth became a head coach for the first time, taking over the Brigham Young Cougars struggling football program. Husdspeth recruited a number of ex-Marines to play for the Cougars in his first couple of seasons and BYU saw a dramatic rise in its football fortunes. In his second season 1965 BYU won its firstWestern Athletic Conference (WAC) championship and posted a 6–4 record. Hudspeth led the Cougars to an 8–2 mark in 1966 and had two more winning seasons in 1967 and 1969. Over an eight-year span, he compiled a record of 39–42–1. Hudspeth is credited with recruiting the program's firstblack player, Ronnie Knight, in 1970, following pressure from the LDS leadership andthe "Black 14" Incident withWyoming the previous year.[1] On January 22, 1972, Hudspeth resigned and was replaced by one of his assistant coaches,LaVell Edwards. Edwards built BYU into a national power by the end of the decade and later led the school to its first and only football national championship in 1984.
"I can't take any credit for what LaVell did at BYU", Hudspeth said. "LaVell was a brilliant coach. When we worked together back in the 1960s, LaVell already had a great understanding of what to do on offense. I recommended him when I left to take the job at UTEP, but everyone knew what a smart young coach he was."
Hudspeth accepted a job asoffensive coordinator at theUniversity of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) shortly after leaving BYU. He became interim head coach on October 22, 1972, when head coachBobby Dobbs resigned following a 56–7 loss. Hudspeth closed out the year 1–3, but followed up with a disastrous 0–11 record the next year. He was subsequently fired from UTEP.
The advent of the newWorld Football League (WFL) in 1974 provided a new job opportunity for Hudspeth. He was hired as an offensive backs coach for theChicago Fire. A major reason he was hired was because he had coached Chicago's quarterbackVirgil Carter, at BYU. However, during the course of the season, the team's weak defense, coupled with severe financial troubles, eventually saw Hudspeth also take over the defensive backfield coaching duties.
Escaping from the ill-fated league, Hudspeth took an off-the-field job the next year as the coordinator of personnel and scouting for the Detroit Lions. He remained in that position until October 5, 1976, when Lions' head coachRick Forzano resigned following a 1–3 start and Hudspeth was tabbed to replace him.[2]
The new coach had mixed results during the remainder of the1976 NFL season, with team ownerWilliam Clay Ford actively pursuingLos Angeles Rams head coachChuck Knox to replace Hudspeth. After Knox elected to stay with the Rams, Hudspeth was re-hired on February 9, 1977, signing a three-year contract. Hudspeth and his entire coaching staff were dismissed only eleven months later on January 9, 1978, ending his Lions' tenure with an 11–13 mark.[3]
On March 7, 1979, Hudspeth returned to Canada when he signed a three-year contract to become the general manager of the CFL'sToronto Argonauts. He would return as a head coach on September 14, 1981, when he replacedWillie Wood with the reeling Argonauts sporting an 0–10 record. Once again, he closed out the season, then returned to the front office.
In 2006, Hudspeth was hired by University of Tulsa director of athleticsBubba Cunningham as an assistant in the area of development and fundraising for athletics.[4]
Hudspeth died June 23, 2015, of cancer. He was 83 years old.[5]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYU Cougars(Western Athletic Conference)(1964–1971) | |||||||||
| 1964 | BYU | 3–6–1 | 0–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1965 | BYU | 6–4 | 4–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1966 | BYU | 8–2 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1967 | BYU | 6–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1968 | BYU | 2–8 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1969 | BYU | 6–4 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1970 | BYU | 3–8 | 1–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 1971 | BYU | 5–6 | 3–4 | T–4th | |||||
| BYU: | 39–42–1 | ||||||||
| UTEP Miners(Western Athletic Conference)(1972–1973) | |||||||||
| 1972 | UTEP | 1–3 | 1–3 | 8th | |||||
| 1973 | UTEP | 0–11 | 0–7 | 8th | |||||
| UTEP: | 1–14 | 1–10 | |||||||
| Total: | 40–56–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||