Jim Tatum

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For the American baseball player use Jim Tatum (baseball player)

Jim Tatum
Sport	Football
Born	July 22, 1913
Place of birth	McColl, SC
Died	July 23, 1959
Place of death	Chapel Hill, NC
Career Highlights
Coaching positions
1956-1958 1947-1955 1946	University of North Carolina University of Maryland University of Oklahoma
College Football Hall of Fame, 1984 (Bio)

James M. "Jim" Tatum (July 22, 1913—July 23, 1959) was the legendary coach of the Maryland Terrapins football team from 1947-1955. He compiled a 73-15-4 record for an .815 winning percentage. Maryland was undefeated in the 1951 season at 10-0, upsetting top-ranked Tennessee 23-13 in the 1952 Sugar Bowl. His team won the NCAA Division I national championship in 1953. That season, Tatum was voted Coach of the Year. His Maryland teams won conference co-championships in 1951, 1953, and 1955. As well as playing in the Sugar Bowl, Maryland also played twice each in the Gator Bowl and the Orange Bowl under Coach Tatum's leadership.

For three seasons, 1956 to 1958, he served as the head football coach at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina where he compiled a 19-17-3 record. He had previously coached there in 1942, before enlisting in the Navy during World War II. He was assigned to the Iowa Pre-Flight School where he assisted Coach Don Faurot. There, Tatum developed the Split-T Offense. It was this set (with a few variations) that he would use with great success. In 1946, he coached the University of Oklahoma to an 8-3 record before accepting the coaching position at Maryland.

Tatum is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tatum played baseball in his youth and was once a member of the Kinston Eagles minor league team.

At 6' 3" and 230 pounds, he was nicknamed "Big Jim."

Coach Tatum died in Chapel Hill, NC, on July 23, 1959, only days after contracting a rare virus. He was only 46 years old. He is buried in Old Chapel Hill Cemetery.

Preceded by Dewey Luster	University of Oklahoma Head Football Coaches 1946	Succeeded by Bud Wilkinson
Preceded by Clark Shaughnessy	University of Maryland Head Football Coaches 1947-1955	Succeeded by Tommy Mont

Switzer Center Mural

Coaches: Harts • Owen • Jones • Tatum • Wilkinson • Switzer • Stoops• Heisman: Vessels • Owens • Sims • White• Awards: Roberts • Weatherall • Jackson • Selmon • Casillas • Roberts • Dixon •  •Williams • Bosworth • Calmus • Phillips • Harris • Lehman • Strait • Brown• Hall of Fame: Reeds • Geyer • Owens • McDonald •  Young • Tubbs • Pruitt • Burris• Three-Time All-Americans: Burris • Shoate• Four-Time All-Conference• Walker • Reed• Record Holders: •Washington•Hinton•Royal•Hunt•Shipp• Special Sooners: Gautt•Gundy•Kalsu•Selmon•Selmon•Owens• NCAA Record 47-Game Winning Streak•Harris•Pricer•Thomas• SplitT•Catlin•Crowder•McPhail•Leake• Wishbone•Mildren•Davis•Lott•Watts•Bradley•Holieway• Special: Uwe von Schamann•Stadium•Orange Bowl•Big 8• Red River Shootout•Pride of Oklahoma•Cheerleaders•Fans•Jumbotron•BCS•Heisman•Outland •Lombardi•Butkus•Thorpe•Nagurski•Rings•Trophies •Sooner Schooner•Ruf-Neks•"Mex" the dog• National Championships: 1950•1955•1956•1974•1975•1985•2000•

Persondata
NAME	Tatum, Jim
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Football coach
DATE OF BIRTH	July 22, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH	McColl, SC
DATE OF DEATH	July 23, 1959
PLACE OF DEATH	Chapel Hill, NC