American football player, coach, and US Army officer (1892–1962)
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Robert Neyland
Neyland from the 1940 Volunteer
Biographical details
Born
(1892-02-17)February 17, 1892 Greenville, Texas, U.S.
Died
March 28, 1962(1962-03-28) (aged 70) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Playing career
1913–1916
Army
Position(s)
Lineman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1919–1924
Army (assistant)
1925
Tennessee (assistant)
1926–1934
Tennessee
1936–1940
Tennessee
1946–1952
Tennessee
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1936–1941
Tennessee
1946–1962
Tennessee
Head coaching record
Overall
173–31–12
Bowls
2–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As coach:
4× National (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951)
2× SoCon (1927, 1932)
5× SEC (1938–1940, 1946, 1951)
As player:
National (1914)
Awards
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1957) 4× SEC Coach of the Year (1936, 1938, 1950, 1951)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1956 (profile)
Robert Reese Neyland (KNEE-lənd;[1] February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach at the University of Tennessee (UT) from 1926 to 1934, 1936 to 1940, and 1946 to 1952. He is one of two college football coaches to have won national titles in two non-consecutive tenures at the same school, along with Frank Leahy of the University of Notre Dame. Neyland holds the record for most wins in Tennessee Volunteers history with 173 wins in 216 games, six undefeated seasons, nine undefeated regular seasons, seven conference championships, and four national championships. At UT, he reeled off undefeated streaks of 33, 28, 23, 19, and 14 games.
Neyland is often referred to as one of the best, if not the best, defensive football coaches ever. Sports Illustrated named Neyland as the defensive coordinator of its all-century college football team in its "Best of the 20th Century" edition.[2] 112 of his victories came via shutout. In 1938 and 1939, Neyland's Vols set NCAA records when they shut out 17 straight regular season opponents for 71 consecutive shutout quarters. His 1939 squad is the last NCAA team in history to hold every regular season opponent scoreless.[citation needed]
Neyland was also an innovator. He is credited with being the first coach to utilize sideline telephones and game film to study opponents. His teams also were some of the first to wear lightweight pads and tearaway jerseys. Such measures increased his players' elusiveness and exemplify Neyland's "speed over strength" philosophy. Neyland is also famous for creating the seven "Game Maxims" of football that many coaches, on all levels, still use. Tennessee players recite the maxims before every game in the locker room as a team.
Neyland Stadium at UT is not only named for The General, but its present form was designed by him. The plans he drew up for a major expansion shortly before his death formed the basis for all expansions that brought the stadium to its modern size with an over 100,000 seat capacity. Neyland was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1956.
On November 12, 2010, a 9-foot (2.7 m), nearly 1,500-pound (680 kg) bronze statue of General Neyland was unveiled between gates 15A and 17 at Neyland Stadium. The statue, which was commissioned by artist Blair Buswell, is twice life-size. Since Neyland is portrayed in the kneeling position rather than standing, the statue is 9 feet (2.7 m) tall (a standing statue would have stood 12 feet (3.7 m) tall). The base is 57 by 87 inches (140 by 220 cm) and features Neyland's well-known seven Game Maxims engraved into the precast.
^""KNEE-land, LIKE MY KNEE" | the Vol Historian | GoVolsXtra.com". Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
^"CNN/SI - Century's Best - SI's NCAA Football All-Century Team - Wednesday October 06, 1999 03:30 PM". Sports Illustrated. October 6, 1999. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
Robert Reese Neyland (KNEE-lənd; February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching...
largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference. The stadium is named for RobertNeyland, who served three stints as head football coach at the University of...
has had 24 head coaches since it began play during the 1891 season. RobertNeyland is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 173 victories in...
1899, 11 coaches have led the Volunteers in postseason bowl games: RobertNeyland, John Barnhill, Bowden Wyatt, Doug Dickey, Bill Battle, Johnny Majors...
fire department were brought in after students blocked the exit from the Neyland Thompson Sports Center and started several small fires. On January 12,...
basketball player Josef Newgarden, Indy Car driver RobertNeyland, UT Vols football coach, namesake for Neyland Stadium Alfred O. P. Nicholson, politician Bishop...
played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under head coach RobertNeyland. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football...
second-highest number of wins of any head coach in Tennessee history, 21 behind RobertNeyland. Fulmer also was the third coach in Tennessee history to win a claimed...
(Georgia), Charles Shira (Mississippi State), Bud Wilkinson (Oklahoma), RobertNeyland (Tennessee), Darrell Royal (Texas), Emory Bellard (Texas A&M) and John...
Tennessee Volunteers. Jones made his coaching debut on August 31, 2013, in Neyland Stadium against the FCS Austin Peay Governors, resulting in a 45–0 Tennessee...
National Champions 1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998 (Stadium Sign). Neyland Stadium: University of Tennessee. 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2021. "Cal...
on its traditional date and began to be a challenge for the Tide as RobertNeyland began competing with Alabama for their perennial spot on top of the...
University of Tennessee in the 1938 college football season. Head coach RobertNeyland fielded his third team at Tennessee after returning from active duty...
coach. The Vols defeated the Buccaneers by a score of 59–3 in Pruitt's Neyland Stadium debut. After a 24–0 victory over UTEP, Tennessee suffered blowout...
Toner Award recognizing his abilities as a sports administrator and the RobertNeyland Memorial Trophy recognizing his contributions to college football, and...
saw growth in the passing game. Though some coaches, such as General RobertNeyland at Tennessee, continued to eschew its use, several rules changes to...
New York City 40,684‡ RobertNeyland 1 Orange Bowl W 17–0 January 2, 1939 1938 Oklahoma Burdine Stadium Miami 32,191‡ RobertNeyland 2 Rose Bowl L 0–14 January...
while on the run or stationary, The 1928 team's sole loss was to RobertNeyland's Tennessee, 12–13, in the final game of the season. Thick mud hampered...
Terrill Majors". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 1, 2018. Sorrell, Robert (January 27, 2015). "Johnny Majors talks football, career at King fundraiser"...
saw growth in the passing game. Though some coaches, such as General RobertNeyland at Tennessee, continued to eschew its use and was the last college team...
quarterback at the University of Tennessee, playing for teams coached by RobertNeyland from 1928 to 1930. He also lettered in baseball, basketball, and track...
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