Jim Johnson (coach)
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Cary, North Carolina | September 10, 1912
Died | November 27, 2004[1] Virginia Beach, Virginia | (aged 92)
Playing career | |
Football | |
1933–1937 | East Carolina |
Position(s) | Tackle |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
Football | |
1946–1948 | East Carolina |
Basketball | |
1946–1947 | East Carolina |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 8–18–1 (football) 17–10 (basketball) |
James Archie Johnson Jr. (September 10, 1912 – November 27, 2004) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was tapped to reintroduce men's sports to East Carolina after World War II. He was the seventh head coach of the football, basketball and baseball teams at East Carolina Teachers College. He also was the athletic director for all sports teams. Before coaching, Johnson was a 16 letter winning athlete between 1933 and 1937. Johnson was inducted in 1978 into the ECU Hall of Fame.
"12th Man Tackle"
In October 1977, William & Mary met heavily favored East Carolina University in the Oyster Bowl. In the fourth quarter ECU led by three points. During the game's final seconds, William & Mary quarterback Tom Rozantz broke loose and ran for the end zone. Jim Johnson, described by The Virginian Pilot as "a portly 65-year-old gentleman in a raincoat", ran from the sidelines and threw a block tackle on Rozantz before he could score the winning touchdown. The unusual turn of events silenced the screaming William & Mary fans, and the officials gathered to discuss their course of action. After deliberation, the play was ruled a touchdown.[2][3]
Head coaching record
Football
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Carolina Pirates (Independent) (1946) | |||||||||
1946 | East Carolina | 5–3–1 | |||||||
East Carolina Pirates (North State Conference) (1947–1948) | |||||||||
1947 | East Carolina | 3–6 | 1–3 | 8th | |||||
1948 | East Carolina | 0–9 | 0–6 | 9th | |||||
East Carolina: | 7–17–1 | 1–9 | |||||||
Total: | 7–17–1 |
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ Coach Jim tackled a lot in life, but one was most memorable, The Virginian Pilot, December 1, 2004, retrieved February 3, 2009.
- ^ Pirate Alumni newsletter June 23, 2008, retrieved February 1, 2009.
External links
- 1912 births
- 2004 deaths
- American football tackles
- American men's basketball players
- East Carolina Pirates athletic directors
- East Carolina Pirates baseball coaches
- East Carolina Pirates baseball players
- East Carolina Pirates football coaches
- East Carolina Pirates football players
- East Carolina Pirates men's basketball coaches
- East Carolina Pirates men's basketball players
- Players of American football from North Carolina
- Basketball coaches from North Carolina
- Basketball players from North Carolina