Vols’ football history 1901: Head coach George Kelley

Vols’ football history 1901: Head coach George Kelley

KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football is rich in tradition and Vols Wire will explore the history of the program by examining each head coach’s tenure at UT.

This installment will cover the tenure of head coach George Kelley. He coached the Vols for one season in 1901.

The Journal and Tribune, Sept. 21, 1901
The Journal and Tribune, Sept. 21, 1901

Kelley attended Princeton University where he played football for the Tigers.

He replaced J.A. Pierce at UT. Pierce left after two seasons on Rocky Top where he compiled a 9-4-1 record.

Kelley guided the Vols to a 3-3-2 record. He was regarded of having an excellent background of the game and was a fine teacher in the fundamentals of football.

In 1901, the Vols faced longtime rival Alabama for the first time. The game, played in Birmingham on Nov. 28, was Tennessee’s season finale and ended in a 6-6 tie.

Tennessee also tied Clemson. The Vols beat King College, Georgetown and Kentucky A&M.

UT suffered defeats to Nashville, Vanderbilt and Kentucky University.