Curley Hallman

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Curley Hallman (born Hudson Hallman September 3, 1947 in Orange, Texas) is the former head football coach at LSU and Southern Miss.

Contents 1 Early years 2 Southern Miss 3 LSU 4 Later years

[edit] Early years

Hallman was a 1970 graduate of Texas A&M, where he played on the 1967 Southwest Conference championship team under head coach Gene Stallings.

As an assistant coach, Hallman served four seasons (1973-76) under the legendary Bear Bryant at Alabama, and six seasons (1982-87) under Jackie Sherrill at his alma mater before being offered a head coaching position.

[edit] Southern Miss

In 1987, Hallman became the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he proceeded to compile the highest winning percentage in school history with the help of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre.

Hallman coached the Golden Eagles to a 23-11 record in three seasons. In his first year, he guided the team to a 1988 Independence Bowl victory over the UTEP Miners. Over the next two seasons, Southern Miss gained a reputation as "giant killers", thanks to victories over national powers such as Florida State, Alabama, and Auburn, all on the road.

[edit] LSU

On November 28, 1990, Hallman was hired to coach the LSU Tigers. During four seasons in Baton Rouge, he compiled the lowest win-percentage in school history at 0.364. His overall record was 16-28, including LSU's worst-ever season record of 2-9 in 1992.

During Hallman's first season in 1991, several of Hallman's football players were accused of instigating a fight with LSU men's basketball players, including All-American Shaquille O'Neal, in Broussard Hall, LSU's athletic dormitory, two days prior to the Tigers' contest with Mississippi State. LSU started the 1991 season with one-sided losses to Georgia (31-10) and Hallman's alma mater, Texas A&M (45-7), and finished 5-6.

The 1992 season included being shutout 32-0 by Ole Miss on Halloween, and beaten 30-6 at Arkansas in the season finale, which was the first meeting between the Tigers and the Razorbacks upon Arkansas joining the SEC.

In 1993, LSU's centennial football season, the Tigers lost 58-3 to the Florida Gators in Tiger Stadium, the worst loss in school history. Amazingly, just four weeks after that, the Tigers stunned the Alabama Crimson Tide, 17-13, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, ending the Tide's 31-game unbeaten streak. LSU entered the season finale at 5-5, with a chance at a bowl berth, but gave up 412 yards rushing in a 42-24 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks at home in Death Valley.

The beginning of the end for Hallman came on September 17, 1994 at Jordan-Hare Stadium against Auburn. LSU led 23-9 early in the fourth quarter, and the Bayou Bengals were in good position to end Auburn's 13-game winning streak. But LSU quarterback Jamie Howard threw two interceptions that were returned for Auburn touchdowns, tying the game. LSU regained the lead with a field goal, but when the Bayou Bengals were trying to run out the clock, Howard threw his fifth interception of the game, and incredibly, Auburn returned the pick for another touchdown, giving the home team a 30-26 lead. LSU drove into Auburn territory in the game's waning seconds, but Howard's sixth interception sealed the win for Auburn.

Three days after a 20-18 loss to Southern Miss in front of a half-empty Death Valley, LSU athletic director Joe Dean fired Hallman. In the final statement of the press conference announcing his dismissal, Hallman definantly told the assembled media that, "I did not resign, folks... I did not resign! You can use that other adjective (fired) any way you want to!"^{[citation needed]}

Despite this, Hallman coached the Tigers in the final two games of 1994, beating Tulane and Arkansas to finish at 4-7 for the year.

[edit] Later years

Since 1994, Hallman has continued working at the college level as a position coach and co-ordinator, with stops at SEC schools Alabama and Mississippi State. Since 2004, he has served as head coach at Muscle Shoals High School in Alabama. His first season at Muscle Shoals resulted in a 3-7 record.

Hallman has two daughters and twin grandchildren.