KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football is rich in tradition and Vols Wire will explore the program by examining each head coach’s tenure.
This installment will focus on the stint of Bowden Wyatt which lasted eight seasons from 1955-62.
Wyatt, a former standout at end for the Vols, replaced Harvey Robinson. Robinson, who coached as the head man on Rocky Top following the retirement of Robert Neyland, had the unenviable task of replacing the General after being his assistant.
As head coach, Robinson went 10-10-1 in two seasons, including 4-6 in his final campaign.
Wyatt replaced Robinson (who later came back to assist him) and stayed at Tennessee for eight seasons, compiling a career record of 49-29-4 at UT, where he later became athletic director.
Prior to returning to Tennessee, Wyatt was an assistant coach at Mississippi State.
His first head coaching job was at Wyoming from 1947-52. With the Cowboys, he was the Skyline Six Coach of the Year in 1949 and the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year in 1950.
From there, he went to Arkansas. He coached the Razorbacks in 1953 and 1954. He was the Southwestern Conference Coach of the Year in 1954.
Wyatt won 99 games in his coaching career, including 59 at Tennessee.
In 1956, the local product from Roane County High School was Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Volunteers to the conference title and a perfect regular season.
The Vols lost the Sugar Bowl to Baylor following the season. On the 1956 squad, Wyatt coached the great Johnny Majors, who finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung.
At UT, Wyatt beat Alabama five times.
Wyatt is a College Football Hall of Famer as a player (1972) and was enshrined as a coach in 1997.