Rex Dockery

John "Rex" Dockery (February 7, 1942 – December 12, 1983) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Texas Tech University from 1978 to 1980 and Memphis State University—now known as the University of Memphis—from 1981 to 1983, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 23–40–3. Dockery was killed in a plane crash in 1983.

Early life Dockery was born on February 7, 1942, in Cleveland, Tennessee. He was a 1960 graduate of Bradley Central High School in Cleveland. In high school, he played several sports and was an all-state guard on the football team. He went on to receive a degree from the University of Tennessee where he played four years of football for the Vols.

Coaching career Dockery got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Tennessee. He then coached football at Harriman High School the 1966 and 1967 seasons. The following year, he took the head coaching job at Morristown East High School and led the team to a state championship in 1969.

In December 1983, the playing surface at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium was named Rex Dockery Field. Dockery's high school also presents The Rex Dockery Award in his memory. Dee Dockery currently serves as a physician at the Campbell Clinic Medical Center in Memphis.

Head coaching record College