Who was the most colorful HBCU Coach ever?


BulldogM.Ed.23

Bulldog Fan/Supporter
When I say colorful, I'm talking about everything that includes personality, cockiness, boldness, and outspoken with words and actions that you would never forget.

I started to just say SWAC and stick with football. However I figure why not open it up to all HBCU Conferences and sports where we all can learn more about people that probably never got the respect and honor that was due in mainstream.


With all that being said:

Football: Archie "The Gunslinger" Cooley-My favorite story of him is when he supposedly had Willie Totten throw a pass from outside of the stadium to a WR running on the inside. I was supposed to meet Coach Totten before this pandemic. I was ready to pick his brain. LOL!

Basketball: Clarence "Bighouse" Gaines-In the interviews and in the games I watched, he just seemed to be very vocal and outspoken. I've heard nothing but positive things from former players.
 
Click here to visit HBCUSportsStore
Well, when it comes to colorfulness, I like former Mississippi Valley basketball coach Lafayette Stribling. When ever Valley played TSU in Houston, I would make sure I attended the game just to see what he was wearing. I always wondered, where does he buy those suits?. He had style, he had class, He had swag. And he was a good coach too. But anyway, just my opinion folks.
 
Last edited:
Diss dude here was something else 😁 😅😎
D7bistYWsAEFVWi.jpg
 
The better question is which coach had the funniest and most colorful story. My favorite is Eddie Robinson on a recruiting visit and he got lost. He looks over in a field where a guy is plowing and decides to approach and ask where the recruit lives. The guy plowing raises his hand, and points with the plow to where the recruit lives. I never get tired of that story.
 
Click here to visit HBCUSportsStore
only if some places could film their coaches consistently the list grows

Walter Highsmith of TSU talked legit crap and didn't care about nothing

"We're going to put something on his (butt)," Highsmith said. "I'm going to show his (butt) what an (butt)-whipping is. "He doesn't have any class whatsoever. I might hit him if he comes on the field. He's a low-life SOB. He's 0-4 and he sure ain't going to be 1-4. It's their homecoming, and this is the game that will get him fired. I promised earlier that I was going to beat his (butt), and we will.""

"We have about 10,000 students here, so there is no reason we should not play before 6,000-7,000 every game," Highsmith said. "If we had as much support as the TSU Relays do every year, the football team would make money."

"We're in Texas, and the press that votes on that mostly is on the East Coast," Highsmith said. "You're not going to get respect from them. They don't think we can play."
 
"Big John" Merritt! Tenn. State football team arrived in Jackson wearing home team uniforms instead of visiting team, white jerseys. Refs couldn't tell the home team from visiting team. :) Game was delayed for over an hour. I think Jackson State changed into their visiting team uniforms. "Big John" Merritt always had gimmicks up his sleeves.

1587157573461.png
 
Last edited:
"Big John" Merritt! Tenn. State football team arrived in Jackson wearing home team uniforms instead of visiting team, white jerseys. Refs couldn't tell the home team from visiting team. :) Game was delayed for over an hour. I think Jackson State changed into their visiting team uniforms? "Big John" Merritt always had gimmicks up his sleeves.

View attachment 9817

With his cchhhheeeeaaattttiiinng azz.....LOL Definitely a character though......(Good Choice)
 
"Big John" Merritt! Tenn. State football team arrived in Jackson wearing home team uniforms instead of visiting team, white jerseys. Refs couldn't tell the home team from visiting team. :) Game was delayed for over an hour. I think Jackson State changed into their visiting team uniforms? "Big John" Merritt always had gimmicks up his sleeves.

View attachment 9817

Man I’ve heard the stories about Coach Merritt LOL
 
Man I’ve heard the stories about Coach Merritt LOL

Back in the day when visiting Nashville, the man had his own game officials.....LOL I remember one year S.U. came out of the dressing room (in the late 70's) and those officials told us no fist pads allowed in the game. The next moment tsu team came out of the dressing room with some pads that looked like some small boxing gloves....LOL Woody Hayes don't have nothing on Big Bad John! LOL
 
Last edited:
Back
Top