Frank Howard (American football) facts for kids
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Howard in 1955
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1909 Barlow Bend, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 1996 (aged 86) Clemson, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1928–1930 | Alabama |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1931–1939 | Clemson (line) |
| 1940–1969 | Clemson |
| Baseball | |
| 1943 | Clemson |
| Track & field | |
| 1931–1939 | Clemson |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1940–1971 | Clemson |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 165–118–12 (football) 12–3 (baseball) |
| Bowls | 3–3 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As coach:
As player:
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| Awards | |
| 2× ACC Coach of the Year (1958, 1966) | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1989 (profile) |
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Frank J. Howard (March 25, 1909 – January 26, 1996) was a famous American college football player and coach. He played football for the University of Alabama.
After a serious injury ended his playing career, Howard joined the staff at Clemson College. He became the head coach in 1940. Coach Howard led the Clemson Tigers for 30 years. He earned the 15th most wins of any college football coach.
During his time at Clemson, Howard also managed the athletic department. He even helped coach the baseball team. He is honored in the College Football Hall of Fame. The playing field at Clemson's Memorial Stadium is named after him.
Frank Howard's Coaching Years
Frank Howard coached the Clemson Tigers football team from 1940 to 1969. He led his teams to ten bowl games. One of his most famous seasons was in 1948, when his team went undefeated. Many of his teams were ranked among the top 20 in the country.
Howard won several championships as a coach:
- Two Southern Conference (SoCon) titles in 1940 and 1948.
- Six Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) titles between 1956 and 1967.
He was also named ACC Coach of the Year twice, in 1958 and 1966.
Challenges and Changes in Sports
In the 1960s, college sports faced big changes. At that time, some schools had rules that kept Black players from joining their teams. In 1963, when the University of Maryland announced that a Black player, Daryyl Hill, would play, Clemson had strong feelings about it.
Coach Howard initially stated that his team would not allow any Black players to play in their stadium. However, Daryyl Hill did end up playing in the scheduled game.
Despite these challenges, Coach Howard also showed kindness to the local community. This included people from segregated Black schools. He could not recruit players from these schools because of the rules at the time.
One story tells about a football player named George Webster. He later became a famous player at Michigan State University. When George was in high school, he hurt his knee. Coach Howard helped George get the surgery he needed at Clemson University's medical facility. This was a big deal because George was likely the first Black person to spend a lot of time on the Clemson campus. This act of kindness showed a different side of Coach Howard.
Overall Coaching Record
Frank Howard's total coaching record for football at Clemson was 165 wins, 118 losses, and 12 ties. He also coached the baseball team for one season, with a record of 12 wins and 3 losses.
