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Wilburn Tucker

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Wilburn Tucker
Biographical details
Born(1920-08-10)August 10, 1920
Rutherford County, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedOctober 6, 1980(1980-10-06) (aged 60)
Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1940–1942Tennessee Tech
Baseball
c. 1940Tennessee Tech
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1946–1951Tennessee Tech (freshmen)
1952–1953Tennessee Tech (backfield)
1954–1967Tennessee Tech
Baseball
1948–1954Tennessee Tech
Head coaching record
Overall70–66–5 (football)
70–39 (baseball)
Bowls0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
5 OVC (1955, 1958–1961)
Awards
Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame (1987)

Wilburn Tucker (August 10, 1920 – October 6, 1980) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Tennessee Tech from 1954 to 1967, leading the team to five Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championships. He was later inducted into both the Tennessee Tech and OVC Halls of Fame.

Early years

Tucker attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, now known as Tennessee Technological University, in the early 1940s. He played both baseball and football before graduating in 1943.[1] He then served in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, Tucker received a master's degree from the University of Tennessee.[1]

Coaching career

Tucker returned to Tennessee Polytechnic as the freshman football coach, holding that position from 1946 to 1951. He next served as Tennessee Tech's backfield coach and scout during the 1952 and 1953 seasons.[1] He also served as the school's baseball coach from 1948 to 1954.[2] He compiled a 70–39 record as the school's baseball coach.[3]

In January 1954, Tucker was promoted to head football coach at Tennessee Polytechnic.[1] He held that position from 1954 to 1967, compiling a record of 70–66–5 as head coach and led the team to five Ohio Valley Conference championships: 1955, 1957, 1959, 1960, and 1961.[2] In December 1967, he was fired after his 1967 team posted a 3–7 record.[4]

Later years and honors

After his coaching career, Tucker operated a sporting goods store in Cookeville, Tennessee.[5]

Tucker was inducted into the Tennessee Tech Hall of Fame in 1977.[6] He died in October 1980 at age 59 at Cookeville General Hospital.[7]

Tucker was posthumously inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 1987.[8] Tucker Stadium at Tennessee Tech is named after him.[9]

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (Ohio Valley Conference) (1954–1967)
1954 Tennessee Tech 4–4–2 1–3–1 5th
1955 Tennessee Tech 7–3 5–0 1st
1956 Tennessee Tech 5–4–1 2–3 T–3rd
1957 Tennessee Tech 6–4 4–1 2nd
1958 Tennessee Tech 7–3 5–1 T–1st
1959 Tennessee Tech 6–2–2 5–0–1 T–1st
1960 Tennessee Tech 8–3 6–0 1st L Tangerine
1961 Tennessee Tech 7–3 6–0 1st
1962 Tennessee Tech 2–8 1–5 T–6th
1963 Tennessee Tech 6–4 3–4 T–4th
1964 Tennessee Tech 1–9 1–6 8th
1965 Tennessee Tech 3–7 3–4 T–4th
1966 Tennessee Tech 5–5 4–3 T–3rd
1967 Tennessee Tech 3–7 3–4 T–4th
Tennessee Tech: 70–66–5 49–34–2
Total: 70–66–5
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. ^ a b c d Mary Barbour (January 2, 1954). "Wilburn Tucker Succeeds Overall As Eagles' Coach". The Nashville Banner. p. 11.
  2. ^ a b "Wilburn Tucker". Tennessee Tech. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "untitled". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. October 14, 1980. p. Sports 1.
  4. ^ "Tucker Is Fired by Tennessee Tech". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 7, 1967. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Mike Morrow (March 27, 1980). "Friends Salute Tucker In Cookeville Saturday". The Tennessean. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "TTU Inducts 5 Into 'Hall'". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 22, 1977. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Services For Tucker Scheduled Tomorrow". The Tennessean. October 8, 1980. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Wilburn Tucker". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Avery Nettles (September 8, 2021). "The History of Tucker Stadium". Tennessee Tech Oracle.
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