Hal Mumme
Encyclopedia
Hal Clay Mumme is an American college football
coach. He is currently the head coach at McMurry University
.
, Mumme played football as a receiver for Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, Texas
, going on after graduation to play at New Mexico Military Institute
and at Tarleton State University
. While an undergraduate, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order
.
from 1976 through 1978. In 1979 he was the head coach at Aransas Pass High School. Mumme was an assistant coach (quarterbacks and receivers) under Bill Yung
at West Texas State University
in 1980 and 1981, offensive coordinator also under Yung at UTEP
from 1982 through 1985, and head coach at Copperas Cove High School from 1986 through 1988.
During his time as a high school and college assistant coach Mumme developed an unorthodox, pass-oriented offensive attack that proved very successful at moving the ball, gaining yardage and scoring points. The unusual attack, utilizing short passes to multiple receivers and backs out of the backfield, allowed Mumme’s teams to compete against more talented and athletic opponents. BYU
head coach LaVell Edwards
was a major influence on Mumme’s offensive strategy.
. While finishing 7–4 in his first season, he eventually led the team to the national quarterfinals in 1991, the first playoff appearance in the schools history. Mumme’s 1990 team led the nation in passing offense and the 1989 and 1991 squads finished second nationally in that category. Mumme finished at Iowa Wesleyan with a 25–10 record and was the NAIA
District Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1991.
Mumme took over as head coach at Valdosta State University
in 1992. Mumme’s record at Valdosta State was 40–17–1. In both 1994 and 1996 he led the team to the NCAA Division II playoff quarterfinals; Valdosta State had never made the playoffs previously. The team was consistently ranked in the Division II top 20 and was ranked #1 in the nation in Division II for part of the 1996 season when they won their first Gulf South Conference
championship. In 1994 Valdosta State defeated the University of Central Florida
31–14, an upset over the team picked by Sports Illustrated
in the preseason to win the NCAA Division I-AA national football championship. Quarterback Chris Hatcher
won the Harlon Hill Award as player of the year in NCAA Division II football.
hired Mumme to replace Bill Curry
. Kentucky had gone 9–24 (.273) through the prior three years. In Mumme's first year the team improved to a 5–6 record. The season highlight was a win over #20 Alabama, a team Kentucky had not beaten since 1922. Led by sophomore quarterback Tim Couch
, Kentucky's offense set multiple school, SEC and NCAA records.
In 1998 Kentucky won its season opener against Louisville at the christening of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
by the lopsided score of 68–34. Kentucky improved to 3–0 with wins over Eastern Kentucky and Indiana and was ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Losses to #8 Florida and at #22 Arkansas followed. Kentucky then defeated South Carolina and #21 LSU. A close loss to Georgia on a missed last-second field goal was followed by victories over eventual SEC West champion Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. At 7–3 and ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, Kentucky then lost its regular season finale at Tennessee. Tim Couch was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy
. Kentucky then played in the Outback Bowl
, Kentucky's first New Year's Day bowl in 47 years. Despite jumping out to a 14–3 lead, Penn State won 26–14. Couch was then the #1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft
.
In 1999 Kentucky finished the regular season 6–5 before losing the 1999 Music City Bowl
to Syracuse, 20–13. Season highlights included victories over #20 Arkansas, LSU, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Indiana.
The 2000 Wildcats dropped to 2–9, with victories against only South Florida and Indiana. The team lost its final eight games as press reports detailed growing investigation into NCAA rules violations.
In early 2001, Mumme resigned amid numerous NCAA rules violations, largely payments to recruits. The team was eventually found to be in violation of more than three dozen recruiting violations. As a result, they were banned from post-season play in 2003 and lost 19 scholarships over the next three seasons. Mumme, however, was not given any individual sanctions.
Mumme's final record at Kentucky was 20–26, after a 20–18 start and an 18–17 record in his first three years, compared to Kentucky's 9–24 mark in the three years before his arrival.
in Hammond, Louisiana
. The school had terminated its football program in 1985 but decided to compete again and did so in 2003 at the NCAA Division I-AA level. The team finished its first season 5–7 and posted a 7–4 mark in 2004. The program posted a 51–17 win over #6 McNeese State and entered the Top 25 in the national I-AA rankings. Southeastern Louisiana ranked first among NCAA Division I-AA teams in total offense per game (537.1 yards) and passing offense per game (408 yards) in 2003.
, replacing Tony Samuel. Samuel had run an option offense at the school and the transition to Mumme’s passing offense was difficult. New Mexico
State finished 0–12 in Mumme’s first season (2005).
Entering the 2006 season Mumme’s career record as a Division I head coach was 32–49. In the first game of the 2006 season, Mumme's New Mexico State team beat his former team, Southeastern Louisiana, 30–15. The 2006 New Mexico State squad went on to post a 3–9 record for the season, and for part of the season, led all Division I-A football programs in total offense and passing offense. New Mexico State finished 4–9 in 2007.
While the coach at New Mexico State, Mumme was the object of a lawsuit brought by four Muslim NMSU players and the ACLU, who claimed that Mumme subjected them to a hostile work environment on account of their religion. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court, when NMSU agreed to pay a sum of $165,000 to the four players. Neither Mumme nor NMSU admitted to any wrongdoing in the case.
Mumme was fired on December 1, 2008 after finishing 3–9 during the 2008 season, including 7 consecutive losses to end the season. He was replaced by former UCLA defensive co-ordinator DeWayne Walker
.
on April 12, 2009. After an 0–10 season in 2008, Mumme led McMurry to a 4–6 season in 2009 and improved to 6–4 in 2010 which was the first winning season for McMurry football since 2000. In 2011 Mumme led McMurry to a record of 9-3 which included a NCAA Division III playoff appearance, the first playoff appearance for McMurry since 1980. McMurry won their first ever playoff game against Trinity 25-16 before losing in the second round to ASC rival University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The season also included a victory over NCAA Division I UT-San Antonio and arch rival Hardin-Simmons.
in early 2009; the cancer was reportedly caught early and his prognosis is good. His wife, June, is a breast cancer
survivor and is active with the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
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...
coach. He is currently the head coach at McMurry University
McMurry University
McMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including...
.
Playing career
A native of San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Mumme played football as a receiver for Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, going on after graduation to play at New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...
and at Tarleton State University
Tarleton State University
Tarleton State University is a public, coeducational, state university located in Stephenville, Texas. It is the largest non-land-grant university primarily devoted to agriculture in the United States....
. While an undergraduate, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
.
Coaching career
Mumme’s coaching career began as the offensive coordinator at Foy H. Moody High School in Corpus Christi, TexasCorpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
from 1976 through 1978. In 1979 he was the head coach at Aransas Pass High School. Mumme was an assistant coach (quarterbacks and receivers) under Bill Yung
Bill Yung
- External links :*...
at West Texas State University
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
in 1980 and 1981, offensive coordinator also under Yung at UTEP
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
from 1982 through 1985, and head coach at Copperas Cove High School from 1986 through 1988.
During his time as a high school and college assistant coach Mumme developed an unorthodox, pass-oriented offensive attack that proved very successful at moving the ball, gaining yardage and scoring points. The unusual attack, utilizing short passes to multiple receivers and backs out of the backfield, allowed Mumme’s teams to compete against more talented and athletic opponents. BYU
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
head coach LaVell Edwards
LaVell Edwards
R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...
was a major influence on Mumme’s offensive strategy.
Early career
In 1989, Mumme became head coach at Iowa Wesleyan CollegeIowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church located Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.Iowa Wesleyan is recognized as a pioneer in higher education in America. Founded in 1842, it ranks as the oldest coeducational college located west of the Mississippi River...
. While finishing 7–4 in his first season, he eventually led the team to the national quarterfinals in 1991, the first playoff appearance in the schools history. Mumme’s 1990 team led the nation in passing offense and the 1989 and 1991 squads finished second nationally in that category. Mumme finished at Iowa Wesleyan with a 25–10 record and was the 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...
District Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1991.
Mumme took over as head coach at Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
in 1992. Mumme’s record at Valdosta State was 40–17–1. In both 1994 and 1996 he led the team to the NCAA Division II playoff quarterfinals; Valdosta State had never made the playoffs previously. The team was consistently ranked in the Division II top 20 and was ranked #1 in the nation in Division II for part of the 1996 season when they won their first 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 1994 Valdosta State defeated the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
31–14, an upset over the team picked by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
in the preseason to win the NCAA Division I-AA national football championship. Quarterback Chris Hatcher
Chris Hatcher
Chris Hatcher is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Murray State University, a position he has held since the 2010 season. Previsouly, Hatcher served as the head coach at Valdosta State University from 2000 to 2006 and at Georgia Southern University...
won the Harlon Hill Award as player of the year in NCAA Division II football.
University of Kentucky
In 1997 the University of KentuckyUniversity 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...
hired Mumme to replace Bill Curry
Bill Curry
William Alexander "Bill" Curry is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach at Georgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010...
. Kentucky had gone 9–24 (.273) through the prior three years. In Mumme's first year the team improved to a 5–6 record. The season highlight was a win over #20 Alabama, a team Kentucky had not beaten since 1922. Led by sophomore quarterback Tim Couch
Tim Couch
Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
, Kentucky's offense set multiple school, SEC and NCAA records.
In 1998 Kentucky won its season opener against Louisville at the christening of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA and serves as the home of the University of Louisville football program. It opened in 1998, making it the second-to-last football stadium in NCAA Division I-A to open in the 20th century, with SMU's Gerald J....
by the lopsided score of 68–34. Kentucky improved to 3–0 with wins over Eastern Kentucky and Indiana and was ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Losses to #8 Florida and at #22 Arkansas followed. Kentucky then defeated South Carolina and #21 LSU. A close loss to Georgia on a missed last-second field goal was followed by victories over eventual SEC West champion Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. At 7–3 and ranked #25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, Kentucky then lost its regular season finale at Tennessee. Tim Couch was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. Kentucky then played in the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
, Kentucky's first New Year's Day bowl in 47 years. Despite jumping out to a 14–3 lead, Penn State won 26–14. Couch was then the #1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
.
In 1999 Kentucky finished the regular season 6–5 before losing the 1999 Music City Bowl
1999 Music City Bowl
1999 Music City Bowl was a college football postseason game matching the against the . Both teams entered the game with 6-5 records, unranked in the polls, though Syracuse had been ranked as high as #16 in the AP poll during the season. Kentucky was favored by 3 points.Kentucky fielded the...
to Syracuse, 20–13. Season highlights included victories over #20 Arkansas, LSU, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Indiana.
The 2000 Wildcats dropped to 2–9, with victories against only South Florida and Indiana. The team lost its final eight games as press reports detailed growing investigation into NCAA rules violations.
In early 2001, Mumme resigned amid numerous NCAA rules violations, largely payments to recruits. The team was eventually found to be in violation of more than three dozen recruiting violations. As a result, they were banned from post-season play in 2003 and lost 19 scholarships over the next three seasons. Mumme, however, was not given any individual sanctions.
Mumme's final record at Kentucky was 20–26, after a 20–18 start and an 18–17 record in his first three years, compared to Kentucky's 9–24 mark in the three years before his arrival.
Southeastern Louisiana University
After a hiatus of 18 months Mumme returned to football as the 12th head coach for the Southeastern Louisiana LionsSoutheastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
. The school had terminated its football program in 1985 but decided to compete again and did so in 2003 at the NCAA Division I-AA level. The team finished its first season 5–7 and posted a 7–4 mark in 2004. The program posted a 51–17 win over #6 McNeese State and entered the Top 25 in the national I-AA rankings. Southeastern Louisiana ranked first among NCAA Division I-AA teams in total offense per game (537.1 yards) and passing offense per game (408 yards) in 2003.
New Mexico State University
In December 2004 Mumme was named the head coach at Division I-A New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
, replacing Tony Samuel. Samuel had run an option offense at the school and the transition to Mumme’s passing offense was difficult. New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
State finished 0–12 in Mumme’s first season (2005).
Entering the 2006 season Mumme’s career record as a Division I head coach was 32–49. In the first game of the 2006 season, Mumme's New Mexico State team beat his former team, Southeastern Louisiana, 30–15. The 2006 New Mexico State squad went on to post a 3–9 record for the season, and for part of the season, led all Division I-A football programs in total offense and passing offense. New Mexico State finished 4–9 in 2007.
While the coach at New Mexico State, Mumme was the object of a lawsuit brought by four Muslim NMSU players and the ACLU, who claimed that Mumme subjected them to a hostile work environment on account of their religion. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court, when NMSU agreed to pay a sum of $165,000 to the four players. Neither Mumme nor NMSU admitted to any wrongdoing in the case.
Mumme was fired on December 1, 2008 after finishing 3–9 during the 2008 season, including 7 consecutive losses to end the season. He was replaced by former UCLA defensive co-ordinator DeWayne Walker
DeWayne Walker
-External links:* *...
.
McMurry University
Mumme was hired by Division III McMurry UniversityMcMurry University
McMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including...
on April 12, 2009. After an 0–10 season in 2008, Mumme led McMurry to a 4–6 season in 2009 and improved to 6–4 in 2010 which was the first winning season for McMurry football since 2000. In 2011 Mumme led McMurry to a record of 9-3 which included a NCAA Division III playoff appearance, the first playoff appearance for McMurry since 1980. McMurry won their first ever playoff game against Trinity 25-16 before losing in the second round to ASC rival University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The season also included a victory over NCAA Division I UT-San Antonio and arch rival Hardin-Simmons.
Head coaching record
Personal life
Mumme was diagnosed with prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in early 2009; the cancer was reportedly caught early and his prognosis is good. His wife, June, is a breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
survivor and is active with the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
External links
- Mumme named as New Mexico State coach, ESPN.com
- New Mexico State preview, College Football News, 2005.
- College Football Report: New Mexico State, SportsLine.