Charley Pell
Encyclopedia
Charles Byron "Charley" Pell (February 17, 1941 – May 29, 2001) was an American college football
player and coach. Pell was an Alabama
native and an alumnus
of the University of Alabama
, where he played college football
. He is most notably remembered as the head coach
of the Clemson University
and the University of Florida
football teams. Pell was credited with laying the foundation for the later success of both programs, but his coaching career was tainted by National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) rules violations.
in 1941. Neither of his parents had completed any education beyond the fifth grade. He did not play football until his senior year of high school
. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Alabama, having been recruited to play football for the Crimson Tide
by coach Bear Bryant
. Pell was undersized at 187 pounds, but he became an all-Southeastern Conference
guard
and defensive tackle. Pell played for Bryant's Crimson Tide from 1961 to 1963, including Bryant's first national championship team in 1961.
under Bryant in 1964. Charlie Bradshaw, a former Alabama assistant and current Kentucky Wildcats football
head coach, offered Pell a position as the defensive line coach at the University of Kentucky
in Lexington, Kentucky
. While coaching at Kentucky, Pell met his future wife, Noel Ward.
in Jacksonville, Alabama
in 1969. He coached the Gamecocks to four consecutive winning seasons, including a 10–0 record and a Gulf South Conference
championship in 1970. His overall record as the Gamecocks head coach was 33–13–1.
In 1974, Pell left NAIA
Jacksonville State to become defensive coordinator for Division I Virginia Tech. He stayed with the Virginia Tech Hokies football
team for just two seasons.
program in 1977 when Red Parker
was fired. In his first year, he led the Tigers to the 1977 Gator Bowl
—their first bowl invitation in eighteen years. A year later, his Tigers won their first Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) championship in eleven years, and were ranked seventh in the final AP Poll
—the highest final ranking in school history at the time. Pell was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1978, and compiled an 18–4–1 record. He also recruited many of the players who helped lead the Tigers to the national championship in 1981.
Pell left Clemson after the 1978 regular season to accept the open coaching job at the University of Florida. He was succeeded at Clemson by assistant coach Danny Ford
, who led the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. In 1982, it emerged that Pell and his staff had committed major NCAA infractions in player recruiting, for which the NCAA placed the Clemson football program on two years' probation. The Tigers, however, were allowed to keep the 1978 ACC title.
team from 1979 to 1984, posting a 33–26–3 record. The 1979 Gators suffered an 0–10–1 record—still the worst in school history. However, Pell's Gators quickly improved, with winning records and bowl invitations during the next four years. The Gators' improvement from 0–10–1 in 1979 to 8–4 in 1980 was the largest one-year turnaround in major college football history at the time. His 1983 Gators finished 9–2–1 and were ranked sixth in the final Associated Press football poll—then the highest-ever final poll ranking for the Gators.
began an investigation into possible rule violations by Pell and his staff at Florida, for which he took full responsibility in August 1984. Pell originally asked to be allowed to resign at the end of the 1984 season, but when the NCAA announced that Florida was alleged to have committed 107 major infractions, university president Marshall Criser
fired Pell after three games. He was succeeded by his offensive coordinator, Galen Hall
. Hall and the 1984 Gators won Florida's first-ever Southeastern Conference
(SEC) football championship, but the SEC university presidents voted to vacate the Gators' 1984 SEC title after the season was over. In January 1985, after it was ultimately determined that Pell and the Gators coaching staff had actually committed fifty-nine infractions, the NCAA placed Florida on two years' probation and banned the Gators from bowl games and live television in 1985 and 1986. The NCAA also reduced the Gators' football scholarships by twenty over three years. The loss of scholarships proved to be the most crippling sanction in the long-term; with a depleted roster, the Gators wouldn't win more than seven games from 1986 to 1989.
During his time at the University of Florida, Pell led the fund-raising efforts to make several major facility improvements at Florida Field
, including the construction of a world-class training facility (the Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Athletic Training Center), a major expansion of the south end zone seating and the construction of the first luxury skyboxes. Pell is credited by many with returning the Florida football program to national prominence and for rehabilitating the finances of the school's athletic department, but at the same time condemned for being responsible for NCAA violations and sanctions that hobbled the program for the rest of the decade.
and became a spokesman for depression awareness. He coached one season of high school football at the newly built Lake Region High School
in Eagle Lake, Florida
, but his new players were undersized and inexperienced, and the team finished 1–9. He worked as a real estate broker and auctioneer for several years before dying of lung cancer
in 2001.
Charley Pell was married to the former Ward Noel. Pell was survived by his wife, their three children, and two grandchildren.
coached the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. Clemson credits the regular season to Pell and the Gator Bowl to Ford.
** Fired after three games.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. Pell was an Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
native and an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, where he played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. He is most notably remembered as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
football teams. Pell was credited with laying the foundation for the later success of both programs, but his coaching career was tainted by National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) rules violations.
Early life and education
Charley Pell was born in Albertville, AlabamaAlbertville, Alabama
Albertville is a city in Marshall County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 21,160.- History :...
in 1941. Neither of his parents had completed any education beyond the fifth grade. He did not play football until his senior year of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Alabama, having been recruited to play football for the Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
by coach Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
. Pell was undersized at 187 pounds, but he became an all-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
and defensive tackle. Pell played for Bryant's Crimson Tide from 1961 to 1963, including Bryant's first national championship team in 1961.
Coaching career
After graduating from the University of Alabama, Pell stayed in Tuscaloosa, serving as a graduate assistantGraduate assistant
A graduate assistant is a position who serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The individual typically assists professors or with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants, coaches with an athletic team, or university department...
under Bryant in 1964. Charlie Bradshaw, a former Alabama assistant and current Kentucky Wildcats football
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
head coach, offered Pell a position as the defensive line coach at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. While coaching at Kentucky, Pell met his future wife, Noel Ward.
Jacksonville State
Pell earned his first head coaching job at the age of 28 when he was hired by Jacksonville State UniversityJacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...
in Jacksonville, Alabama
Jacksonville, Alabama
Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. which is a 49% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1969. He coached the Gamecocks to four consecutive winning seasons, including a 10–0 record and a Gulf South Conference
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference is a College Athletic Conference which operates in the southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
championship in 1970. His overall record as the Gamecocks head coach was 33–13–1.
In 1974, Pell left NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Jacksonville State to become defensive coordinator for Division I Virginia Tech. He stayed with the Virginia Tech Hokies football
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
team for just two seasons.
Clemson
After taking the defensive coordinator position at Clemson in 1976, he was elevated to be the new head coach of the Clemson Tigers footballClemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
program in 1977 when Red Parker
Red Parker
Jimmy "Red" Parker is an American football coach. From 1961 to 1965, he served as the head football coach at Arkansas A&M, where he compiled a 29–19–2 record. From 1966 to 1972, he coached at The Citadel in South Carolina. He compiled a 46–37 record there. From 1973 to 1976,...
was fired. In his first year, he led the Tigers to the 1977 Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
—their first bowl invitation in eighteen years. A year later, his Tigers won their first Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) championship in eleven years, and were ranked seventh in the final AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
—the highest final ranking in school history at the time. Pell was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1978, and compiled an 18–4–1 record. He also recruited many of the players who helped lead the Tigers to the national championship in 1981.
Pell left Clemson after the 1978 regular season to accept the open coaching job at the University of Florida. He was succeeded at Clemson by assistant coach Danny Ford
Danny Ford
Danny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
, who led the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. In 1982, it emerged that Pell and his staff had committed major NCAA infractions in player recruiting, for which the NCAA placed the Clemson football program on two years' probation. The Tigers, however, were allowed to keep the 1978 ACC title.
Florida
Pell coached the Florida Gators footballFlorida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1979 to 1984, posting a 33–26–3 record. The 1979 Gators suffered an 0–10–1 record—still the worst in school history. However, Pell's Gators quickly improved, with winning records and bowl invitations during the next four years. The Gators' improvement from 0–10–1 in 1979 to 8–4 in 1980 was the largest one-year turnaround in major college football history at the time. His 1983 Gators finished 9–2–1 and were ranked sixth in the final Associated Press football poll—then the highest-ever final poll ranking for the Gators.
NCAA investigation and resignation
After the 1982 season, the NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
began an investigation into possible rule violations by Pell and his staff at Florida, for which he took full responsibility in August 1984. Pell originally asked to be allowed to resign at the end of the 1984 season, but when the NCAA announced that Florida was alleged to have committed 107 major infractions, university president Marshall Criser
Marshall Criser
Marshall McAllister Criser, Jr. is an American corporate lawyer and former university administrator. Criser is a native of New Jersey, and earned his bachelor's and law degrees before becoming a practicing attorney...
fired Pell after three games. He was succeeded by his offensive coordinator, Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
. Hall and the 1984 Gators won Florida's first-ever Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) football championship, but the SEC university presidents voted to vacate the Gators' 1984 SEC title after the season was over. In January 1985, after it was ultimately determined that Pell and the Gators coaching staff had actually committed fifty-nine infractions, the NCAA placed Florida on two years' probation and banned the Gators from bowl games and live television in 1985 and 1986. The NCAA also reduced the Gators' football scholarships by twenty over three years. The loss of scholarships proved to be the most crippling sanction in the long-term; with a depleted roster, the Gators wouldn't win more than seven games from 1986 to 1989.
During his time at the University of Florida, Pell led the fund-raising efforts to make several major facility improvements at Florida Field
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
, including the construction of a world-class training facility (the Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Athletic Training Center), a major expansion of the south end zone seating and the construction of the first luxury skyboxes. Pell is credited by many with returning the Florida football program to national prominence and for rehabilitating the finances of the school's athletic department, but at the same time condemned for being responsible for NCAA violations and sanctions that hobbled the program for the rest of the decade.
Later life
After being fired by Florida, Pell was unable to secure another coaching job, a frustration that was a factor in a suicide attempt in 1994. Pell was treated for clinical depressionClinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and became a spokesman for depression awareness. He coached one season of high school football at the newly built Lake Region High School
Lake Region High School (Florida)
Lake Region High School is located at 1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake, Florida, 33839.LRHS opened on August 14, 1995. Current enrollment is 2000, the senior class enrollment is 400.LRHS serves the communities of south Winter Haven, north Bartow and Eagle Lake...
in Eagle Lake, Florida
Eagle Lake, Florida
Eagle Lake is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,496 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,493. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, but his new players were undersized and inexperienced, and the team finished 1–9. He worked as a real estate broker and auctioneer for several years before dying of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 2001.
Charley Pell was married to the former Ward Noel. Pell was survived by his wife, their three children, and two grandchildren.
Head coaching record
*Pell left for Florida after the 1978 regular season. Assistant coach Danny FordDanny Ford
Danny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
coached the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. Clemson credits the regular season to Pell and the Gator Bowl to Ford.
** Fired after three games.
See also
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Clemson TigersClemson TigersThe Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
- Clemson University football recruiting scandal
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1970–1979
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of Florida Gators head football coaches
- List of SEC Coaches of the Year
- List of University of Alabama people
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...