| FTBL Good trivia question....

As head coach his first SEC job was at Kentucky. I don't know the opponent without cheating. :D I'll guess Alabama and a loss.
 
I would have said Kentucky as well but here is the scoop:

Coach Bryant worked under Coach Red Sanders in 1940 at Vanderbilt University. Before a game, Coach Sanders developed appendicitis and turned to Coach Bryant to lead the Vanderbilt Commodores against the Kentucky Wildcats.

The game ended in a 7-7 tie.
 
bamafan4ever said:
I would have said Kentucky as well but here is the scoop:

Coach Bryant worked under Coach Red Sanders in 1940 at Vanderbilt University. Before a game, Coach Sanders developed appendicitis and turned to Coach Bryant to lead the Vanderbilt Commodores against the Kentucky Wildcats.

The game ended in a 7-7 tie.

:roll:

I thought you meant the first game where he was the head coach.
 
bamafan4ever said:
I would have said Kentucky as well but here is the scoop:

Coach Bryant worked under Coach Red Sanders in 1940 at Vanderbilt University. Before a game, Coach Sanders developed appendicitis and turned to Coach Bryant to lead the Vanderbilt Commodores against the Kentucky Wildcats.

The game ended in a 7-7 tie.

That year Sanders was voted the unluckiest coach in college football. He was a first year coach coming from Louisiana (prep school.) Among some of the things that happened to him that first year.

The winter last well into May that year and he wasn't used to those type of conditions. He didn't have any alcohol in his car and his motor froze. A late snow in March delayed spring practice. Because of the last winter he actually slipped on his porch and broke his ankle.

Ironically, knowing how Coach Bryant didn't really care for the media, it was a Nashville sports writer that called Sanders and recommended Bryant for the job.

Fred Russell from the Nashville Banner wrote, "It was a bitter disappointment such a hard earned victory oozing away into a tie and after the game Bryant was inconsolable, unable to hold back the tears. He's a highly emotional fellow who genuinely bleeds for his boys."
 
Good stuff, Terry.

Late in that same game, Coach Bryant was so upset over an officials' call, he had to be restrained by Vandy AD, Bernie Shivley. After Coach settled down, he said "I couldn't be more ashamed".

13 years after that happened, Coach Bryant was speaking to a group in St. Petersburg, FL., after Texas A&M won the SWC title. The man who picked Coach Bryant up from the airport was none other than Bill McMasters, the referee from the Vandy-UK game.

Coach Bryant and McMasters became friends and Coach referred to him as a "distinguished gentleman".
 
"I'd hoped you had forgotten about that" was what Coach Bryant said to McMasters who had met Bryant at the airport when he arrived in St. Petersburg. He actually stayed with McMasters for that event.

Something interesting about that game was also a staple of our great teams under Bryant. Even though they (Vandy) was physically mis-matched they kept that game close by defense. Heck, UK was a 9 to 5 favorite in that game. The defense stopped UK inside the 20 in the first quarter, inside the 30 in the 2nd and close to the end of the game.
 
Back
Top Bottom