Henry Russell Sanders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry Russell ("Red") Sanders (1905-1958) was the college football head coach at UCLA and Vanderbilt. Known as for being witty and hard driving, he used the single wing to bring the two universities to great success. He is widely credited with coining the saying "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
[edit] Vanderbilt
He also had a successful stint as head coach at Vanderbilt having compiled a 36-22-2 (.617) record there, its best overall record while a member of the Southeastern Conference.
[edit] UCLA
Sanders coached the Bruins from 1949 to 1957. He was arguably the best coach in school history, having compiled a record of 66-19-1 (.773) at UCLA and earning the school its only national championship in football. As head coach of the Bruins, Sanders took them to three Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) titles, two Rose Bowls ('53 and '55 seasons) and to a 6-3 record over arch-rival USC.
The 1954 Bruins compiled a 9-0 record and climbed to the top of the UPI poll, winning the national championship that year and sharing it with Ohio State, winner of the AP Poll's championship. Due to the PCC's early "no repeat" rule, the undefeated Bruins were unable to compete in the Rose Bowl that season despite being the PCC champion. Second-place USC (who the Bruins defeated 34-0), played in the Rose Bowl in their stead and were soundly defeated by Big Ten champion and eventual co-national champion Ohio State.
Sanders died suddently of a heart attack in August 1958, just before the 1958 season. His assistant coach George W. Dickerson rushed in to take his place for the first three games and was replaced by William F. Barnes.
[edit] References
- Adam Karon, Red Scare, The Daily Bruin, January 20, 2000.
- Milestones, Time, August 25, 1958.
- "He Flies on One Wing," Sports Illustrated, Dec. 26, 1955.
| Preceded by Bert Labrucherie |
UCLA Bruins Head Coaches 1949–1957 |
Succeeded by George W. Dickerson |
| Preceded by Ray Morrison |
Vanderbilt Commodores Head Coaches 1940–1942 |
Succeeded by E.H. Alley |
| Preceded by Bobby Bartling |
Vanderbilt Commodores Head Coaches 1946–1948 |
Succeeded by Bill Edwards |
