Red McCombs

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Billy Joe "Red" McCombs (born 1927) is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings, and the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin (an honor given in recognition of a fifty million U.S. dollar donation to the University). He was named one of Forbes magazine's top 400 richest Americans in 2005. While at The University of Texas, McCombs was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega, Gamma Eta chapter.

McCombs was born in Spur, Texas, and started out selling cars, dropping out of college to do so. At the age of twenty-five, he owned his first dealership, selling Fords. He eventually owned fifty car dealerships throughout the United States, most of them in Texas.^{[citation needed]}

McCombs was roundly criticized by fans in Minnesota for a decline of the Vikings from being a team with a strong historical record of achievement to a team struggling to make it to the post-season. The team was running annually twenty to thirty million dollars below the salary cap (very near the league-mandated salary floor), and McCombs showed little inclination to purchase the players he would need to make the team a legitimate Super Bowl contender. He sold the Vikings to new (and current) owner Zygi Wilf before the 2005 football season.

Preceded by Roger Headrick 1991–1998

Owner of the Minnesota Vikings 1998–2005

Succeeded by Zygi Wilf

[edit] External links

• Biography at McCombs School of Business - UT Austin
• Biography from UT Austin Alumni stories
• "Red McCombs Gives $50 Million To UT Business School". Press release.
• Forbes 2006 profile on Billy Joe McCombs
• Red McCombs Automotive Group
• Red McCombs Media
• Faithvine.com - One of Red's latest ventures, a Christian social networking and content website
• Red's battle against alcoholism

v • d • e Clear Channel Communications, Inc. Corporate officers Lowry Mays • Mark Mays • Randall Mays • Tom Hicks Board of directors Alan Feld • Perry Lewis • Lowry Mays • B.J. McCombs • Phyllis Riggins • Theodore Strauss • J. C. Watts • John H. Williams Local radio, TV, and satellite radio assets Further information: List of broadcast stations owned by Clear Channel Radio Networks Australian Radio Network (50%) • Fox Sports Radio • National Lampoon Comedy Radio (dist./sales)• Premiere Radio Networks • The Radio Network (50%) Miscellaneous assets Clear Channel Outdoor • Clear Channel UK • Format Lab