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Bowden Wyatt

1917 – 1969

American college football coach, college athletic director

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About Bowden Wyatt

Lived 1917 – 1969 (aged 51). Bowden Wyatt was an American american football player.

Clarence Bowden Wyatt (October 4, 1917 – January 21, 1969) was an American football player and coach. Wyatt played college football at the University of Tennessee and was later the head football coach at three schools, the University of Wyoming (1947–1952), the University of Arkansas (1953–1954), and his alma mater, Tennessee (1955–1962). He compiled a 99–56–5 record in 16 seasons as a head coach.

In Wyoming, Wyatt turned around a team that had struggled under previous coach Bunny Oakes and had operated intermittently in the previous years because of World War II. His turnaround plan involved a round-the-clock training regimen, one that defensive back Marv Levy would later note did not allow players adequate time to complete their academic studies (leading Levy to transfer to Coe College). Wyatt's plan would secure Wyoming a perfect season and a win in the 1951 Gator Bowl.

Wyatt's most notable victory at Tennessee came on November 7, 1959, when his Tennessee Volunteers football Volunteers upset top-ranked LSU, 14–13, by stopping a two-point conversion attempt by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon late in the game. The victory ended the Tigers' 18-game winning streak.

Wyatt was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972 as a player and again in 1997 as a coach.

Personal life and death Wyatt married Mary Alson Miller around 1940. They had one daughter named Mary Gail "Missy", born in 1942.

Wyatt died of viral pneumonia on January 21, 1969, at hospital in Sweetwater, Tennessee.

Head coaching record

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Roane County High School, University of Tennessee
Employers
University of Tennessee
Also known as
Clarence Bowden Wyatt

People in Bowden Wyatt's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Bowden Wyatt's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Bowden Wyatt?

American college football coach, college athletic director (1917-1969)

When was Bowden Wyatt born?

Bowden Wyatt was born on 4 October 1917 in Kingston.

When did Bowden Wyatt die?

Bowden Wyatt died on 21 January 1969 in Sweetwater.

What was Bowden Wyatt's occupation?

Bowden Wyatt was an american football player.

What nationality was Bowden Wyatt?

Bowden Wyatt was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Bowden Wyatt

· Wikidata: Q4950739

· DBpedia: Bowden Wyatt

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bowden Wyatt. https://biography.guide/bowden-wyatt/

MLA: "Bowden Wyatt." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bowden-wyatt/.

Chicago: "Bowden Wyatt." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bowden-wyatt/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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