Grant Teaff

Grant Teaff
Sport(s) Football
Biographical details
Born (1933-11-12) November 12, 1933
Hermleigh, Texas
Playing career
1953–1954 San Angelo JC
1955 McMurry
Position(s) Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1956 Lubbock HS (TX) (assistant)
1957–1959 McMurry (assistant)
1960–1965 McMurry
1966–1968 Texas Tech (assistant)
1969–1971 Angelo State
1972–1992 Baylor
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1992–1993 Baylor
1993–2016 AFCA (executive director)
Head coaching record
Overall 170–151–8
Bowls 4–4
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 SWC (1974, 1980)
Awards
AFCA Coach of the Year (1974)
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1974)
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2006)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2001 (profile)

Grant Garland Teaff (/ˈtæf/; born November 12, 1933) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University (1960–1965), Angelo State University (1969–1971), and Baylor University (1972–1992), compiling a career college football record of 170–151–8. In his 21 seasons as head coach of the Baylor Bears football team, Teaff's teams won two Southwest Conference titles and appeared in eight bowl games. His 128 wins are the most of any coach in the history of the program. Teaff was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2001.

Early career

Teaff played high school football at Snyder High School in Snyder, Texas 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 then moved on to be an assistant at McMurry from 1957 to 1959.

Teaff began his head coaching career at McMurry in 1960, serving there until 1965. Among his players were future Pittsburgh Steelers split end Dick Compton and future 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 to 1971.

Baylor

In 1972, Teaff was hired to resurrect the moribund football team at Baylor University. Baylor originally hired Rudy Feldman from the University of New Mexico, but Feldman quit after one day, leaving the job to Teaff. The Baylor football team 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 title for the first time since 1924. In the process they defeated the Texas Longhorns, 34–24, after rallying from a 24–7 halftime deficit. It was Baylor's first victory over Texas in 17 years. The 1974 season and the win over Texas are commonly referred to as the "Miracle on the Brazos," named after the Brazos River near the Baylor campus.

Teaff remained Baylor's coach until 1992, compiling a winning record and winning the Southwest Conference 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, his final game as coach. His teams also earned invitations to the 1975 and 1981 Cotton Bowl Classic, the 1983 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, and the 1991 Copper Bowl. His Baylor teams were notable for success against the University of Texas, finishing with a 10–11 record against the Longhorns. By comparison, in the 15 seasons preceding Teaff's arrival and the 15 years following Teaff's departure, Baylor had a 1–29 record against Texas.

Teaff gained notoriety by eating a live worm in the locker room prior to a 38–14 upset win over Texas in 1978, telling his players he would "keep the worms warm."[1]

Later life and family

After retiring from coaching, Teaff in February 1994 became executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, an organization headquartered in Waco, Texas that represents coaches across the United States and is often consulted by the NCAA and the media regarding rule changes and developments that take place in college football.

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

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
McMurry Indians (Independent) (1960–1965)
1960 McMurry 3–7
1961 McMurry 6–4
1962 McMurry 6–4
1963 McMurry 3–7
1964 McMurry 1–8–1
1965 McMurry 4–5–1
McMurry: 23–35–2
Angelo State Rams (Lone Star Conference) (1969–1971)
1969 Angelo State 6–4 NA
1970 Angelo State 6–4 6–3 T–3rd
1971 Angelo State 7–3 5–3 3rd
Angelo State: 19–11 11–6
Baylor Bears (Southwest Conference) (1972–1992)
1972 Baylor 5–6 3–4 T–4th
1973 Baylor 2–9 0–7 8th
1974 Baylor 8–4 6–1 1st L Cotton 14 14
1975 Baylor 3–6–2 2–5 T–5th
1976 Baylor 7–3–1 4–3–1 4th 19
1977 Baylor 5–6 3–5 T–6th
1978 Baylor 3–8 3–5 T–6th
1979 Baylor 8–4 5–3 4th W Peach 15 14
1980 Baylor 10–2 8–0 1st L Cotton 15 14
1981 Baylor 5–6 3–5 T–6th
1982 Baylor 4–6–1 3–4–1 5th
1983 Baylor 7–4–1 4–3–1 T–3rd L Astro-Bluebonnet
1984 Baylor 5–6 4–4 6th
1985 Baylor 9–3 6–2 T–2nd W Liberty 15 17
1986 Baylor 9–3 6–2 T–2nd W Bluebonnet 13 12
1987 Baylor 6–5 3–4 T–5th
1988 Baylor 6–5 2–5 T–4th
1989 Baylor 5–6 4–4 T–4th
1990 Baylor 6–4–1 5–2–1 T–2nd
1991 Baylor 8–4 5–3 T–2nd L Copper
1992 Baylor 7–5 4–3 T–2nd W John Hancock†
Baylor: 128–105–6 83–74–4
Total: 170–151–8
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl.
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.

References

  1. ↑ Mark Schlabach, Richt's motivational gamble pays off for Georgia, ESPN.com, October 29, 2007.
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