Homer Rice facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 20, 1927 Bellevue, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | June 10, 2024 (aged 97) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1951 | Wartburg Central HS (TN) |
| 1952–1953 | Spring City HS (TN) |
| 1954–1961 | Ft. Thomas Highlands HS (KY) |
| 1962–1965 | Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1966 | Oklahoma (backs) |
| 1967–1968 | Cincinnati |
| 1976–1977 | Rice |
| 1978–1979 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1969–1975 | North Carolina |
| 1976–1977 | Rice |
| 1980–1997 | Georgia Tech |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 12–28–1 (college) 8–19 (NFL) 101–9–7 (high school) |
Homer C. Rice (born February 20, 1927 – died June 10, 2024) was an important person in American football. He was a player, a coach, and also managed sports programs at colleges.
One of his biggest achievements was creating the "Total Person Program" at Georgia Tech. This program helps student-athletes succeed not just in sports, but also in their studies and life. It became a model for similar programs across the country.
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Homer Rice's Journey in Sports
Homer Rice had a long and successful career in sports. He started as a college athlete and then became a coach. Later, he took on roles managing entire sports departments at universities.
College Days and Early Coaching
Homer Rice went to Centre College in Kentucky. He was a talented athlete, playing both football and baseball. In 1948, he was even named an All-American in football. Centre College still honors him today with an award for their football team's best special teams player.
After college, Rice coached high school football for 11 years. He had an amazing record, winning 101 games while losing only 9 and tying 7.
Moving to College Football
In 1962, Homer Rice became an offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. An offensive coordinator is a coach who plans how the team will score points. Under his guidance, Kentucky's offense was very strong.
He then worked as an offensive coordinator for the University of Oklahoma in 1966. From 1967 to 1968, he became the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati. As a head coach, he was in charge of the entire team.
Leading College and Pro Teams
After coaching at Cincinnati, Homer Rice became an Athletic Director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An athletic director manages all the sports teams and programs at a university. He held this role from 1969 to 1975.
Then, from 1976 to 1977, he was both the athletic director and head coach at Rice University. He also coached in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1978 to 1979. In the NFL, he had an overall record of 8 wins and 19 losses.
Impact at Georgia Tech
Homer Rice spent the longest part of his career at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was the athletic director there from 1980 to 1997. He even took a pay cut to leave the NFL and join Georgia Tech. His goal was to build a strong sports program that also focused on helping student-athletes grow as people.
The Total Person Program
At Georgia Tech, Homer Rice created the "Total Person Program." This program helps student-athletes balance their sports, studies, and personal lives. It teaches them important skills for success both on and off the field. This idea was so good that it became a model for similar programs at universities all over the country.
Sports Success at Georgia Tech
During Rice's time as athletic director, Georgia Tech's sports teams achieved great success. Here are some highlights:
- The football team won a National Championship in 1990.
- The men's basketball team reached the NCAA Final Four in 1990.
- The basketball team made it to the NCAA Tournament nine years in a row.
- The baseball team was the runner-up in the College World Series in 1994.
- Many athletes from Georgia Tech went on to play professionally or compete in the Olympics.
Homer Rice's vision helped Georgia Tech's athletes excel in both sports and life.
Coaching Records Summary
Homer Rice had a long coaching career across different levels of football.
High School Coaching
He started his coaching journey in high school, where he had an impressive record of 101 wins, 9 losses, and 7 ties.
College Coaching
As a head coach in college, he led the Cincinnati Bearcats from 1967 to 1968. His record there was 8 wins, 10 losses, and 1 tie. He then coached the Rice Owls from 1976 to 1977, with a record of 4 wins and 18 losses. Overall, his college head coaching record was 12 wins, 28 losses, and 1 tie.
NFL Coaching
In the National Football League (NFL), Homer Rice coached the Cincinnati Bengals for two seasons (1978-1979). His NFL record was 8 wins and 19 losses.
