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Odus Mitchell
Mitchell pictured in The Yucca 1951, North Texas State yearbook
Biographical details
Born
June 26, 1899
Died
July 5, 1989(1989-07-05) (aged 90) Denton, Texas, U.S.
James Odus Mitchell (June 26, 1899 – July 5, 1989) was an American football player and coach. As a coach, he was successful both at the high school and collegiate levels. In 42 years of coaching, at all levels, he compiled a 289–129–17 record. In his 21 years as a high school coach, he coached at Slaton, Childress, Pampa, and Marshall, compiling a 165–44–8 record. At Marshall he coached Y. A. Tittle. From 1946 to 1966, Mitchell was the head football coach at North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas, compiling a record of 122–85–9. From 1946 to 1952, the Mean Green enjoyed seven consecutive winning seasons, which is a school record. His teams earned 10 conference championships, and played in three bowl games. In his 1966 season, North Texas went 8–2, which helped earn him National Coach of the Year honors. In 1986, he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Mitchell was also a catalyst for the integration of college football in the state of Texas, as he instituted a policy allowing "any African American students who showed interest in the football team to be given a fair chance" while he was the head coach at North Texas. He extended a partial scholarship offer to incoming African-American freshmen Abner Haynes and Leon King in 1956, promoting them to the varsity squad in 1957. Haynes and King both made their varsity debuts on the road against UTEP (then known as Texas Western) on September 21, 1957, becoming the first African-Americans to play major college football in Texas.
In the summer of 1965, he also recruited future National Football League Hall of Famer Mean Joe Greene from all-black Dunbar High School in Temple, Texas. The ferocious Greene-led defense allowed an average of less than two yards per carry in 1966, Mitchell's final season at North Texas, earning the team the nickname "Mean Green," which stuck and is now the official mascot of the university to this day.
James OdusMitchell (June 26, 1899 – July 5, 1989) was an American football player and coach. As a coach, he was successful both at the high school and...
Odus may refer to: Odus (fly), a genus of flies Odus Creamer Horney (1866–1957), U.S. Army brigadier general OdusMitchell (1899–1989), American football...
the most successful stretches in school history. North Texas hired OdusMitchell from Marshall High School to lead the team. In his first season, the...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
State University (now University of North Texas), where he played for OdusMitchell on the varsity team from 1966 to 1968. In the three seasons he played...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
(d. 1987) June 25 – Arthur Tracy, American singer (d. 1997) June 26 OdusMitchell, American football player and coach (d. 1989) Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna...
the Missouri Valley Conference. In their 21st year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled an 8–2 record and finished as Missouri Valley Conference...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
has been in from the Lone Star Conference to the Sun Belt Conference. Mitchell spent the most seasons (21) as the Mean Green’s head coach and took the...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
the Missouri Valley Conference. In their 17th year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 6–4 record. "North Texas subdues Miners, 19–6"...
was co-champion of the Missouri Valley Conference with Houston in OdusMitchell's 14th year. This was the Eagles first bowl game since the 1948 Salad...
(1925–1928) Jack Sisco (1929–1941) Lloyd Russell (1942) No team (1943–1945) OdusMitchell (1946–1966) Rod Rust (1967–1972) Hayden Fry (1973–1978) Jerry Moore...
moments in the history of North Texas football. Prior to the 1956 season, OdusMitchell recruited Abner Haynes and Leon King, both African-Americans, in what...
the Missouri Valley Conference. In their 20th year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 3–7 record. "Miners explode over N. Texas, 61–15"...
the Missouri Valley Conference. In their 12th year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 5–5 record. The additions of Abner Haynes and Leon...
of the Gulf Coast Conference. In their sixth year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 8–4 record. The team was ranked at No. 70 in the...
of the Gulf Coast Conference. In their fifth year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 7–2–1 record. "Crowd of 24,000 fans see Wildcats...
member of the Lone Star Conference. In their first year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 7–3–1 record. "Texas Ags swamp North Texas, 47–0;...
of the Gulf Coast Conference. In their seventh year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 7–3 record. "North Texas nips Miners". The Odessa...
of the Gulf Coast Conference. In their fourth year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 8–4 record. "North Texas whips Jackets by 34–14"...
of the Gulf Coast Conference. In their eighth year under head coach OdusMitchell, the team compiled a 3–6–1 record. "Tempe Sun Devils trim North Texas...
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