Jess Neely
Encyclopedia
Jess C. Neely was an American football
player and coach of football and baseball
. He served as the head football coach at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College
(1924–1927), Clemson University
(1931–1939), and Rice University
(1940–1966), compiling a career college football
record of 207–176–19. Neely was also the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama
(1929–1930), Clemson (1932–1938), and Rice (1945, 1948), tallying a career college baseball
mark of 109–108–5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1971.
from 1920 to 1922 under head coach Dan McGugin
.
, then Southwestern University, where he complied an 18–15–2 record from 1924–1927. He was an assistant at Alabama
from 1928–1930 and was also head baseball coach there from 1929–1930, totally a 28–15–2 record.
From 1931 to 1939, he coached at Clemson, and compiled a 43–35–7 record. From 1940 to 1966, he coached at Rice, and compiled a 144–124–10 record. This makes him by far the winningest coach in Rice history.
Neely won the first four bowl games he coached: 1940 Cotton Bowl (with Clemson), 1946 Orange Bowl, 1949 and 1953 Cotton Bowls (with Rice). With Rice he lost the last three bowl games he coached: 1957 Cotton Bowl, 1960 Sugar Bowl, and 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl
.
After the 1966 season, he returned to Vanderbilt as athletic director. In 1967, he received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
. In 1999, he was ranked number 39 in Sports Illustrated
s list of the "50 Greatest Tennessee Sports Figures of the 20th Century".
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 of football and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He served as the head football coach at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College
Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...
(1924–1927), Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
(1931–1939), and Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
(1940–1966), compiling a career 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...
record of 207–176–19. Neely was also the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
(1929–1930), Clemson (1932–1938), and Rice (1945, 1948), tallying a career college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
mark of 109–108–5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 1971.
Playing career
Neely played college football at Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
from 1920 to 1922 under head coach Dan McGugin
Dan McGugin
Daniel Earle McGugin was an American football player, coach, and lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He played college football at the University...
.
Coaching career
Neely began his football coaching career at Rhodes CollegeRhodes College
Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...
, then Southwestern University, where he complied an 18–15–2 record from 1924–1927. He was an assistant at Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
from 1928–1930 and was also head baseball coach there from 1929–1930, totally a 28–15–2 record.
From 1931 to 1939, he coached at Clemson, and compiled a 43–35–7 record. From 1940 to 1966, he coached at Rice, and compiled a 144–124–10 record. This makes him by far the winningest coach in Rice history.
Neely won the first four bowl games he coached: 1940 Cotton Bowl (with Clemson), 1946 Orange Bowl, 1949 and 1953 Cotton Bowls (with Rice). With Rice he lost the last three bowl games he coached: 1957 Cotton Bowl, 1960 Sugar Bowl, and 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl
Bluebonnet Bowl
The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was...
.
After the 1966 season, he returned to Vanderbilt as athletic director. In 1967, he received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association to the “individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football’’. Recipients receive a plaque which is a replica of the one given to...
. In 1999, he was ranked number 39 in 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...
s list of the "50 Greatest Tennessee Sports Figures of the 20th Century".