Murray Warmath was an American football player and coach.[1] He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971.Warmath was named the national coach of the year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 1960, when he led the Golden Gophers to their most recent national championship, and led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to the Rose Bowl in 1961 and 1962, Minnesota's most recent appearance in the Rose Bowl. (December 26, 1912 – March 16, 2011)
Warmath played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under legendary coach Robert Neyland. After graduation from college, Warmath was the line coach for one season and end coach for three seasons at Tennessee before entering military service during World War II. After the service, he was named head line coach at Tennessee, and then served in the same capacity at the United States Military Academy under Red Blaik; Vince Lombardi was the backfield coach at Army during those years.[2] Warmath then spent two seasons (1952–1953) as head coach at Mississippi State University before being fired at the end of the 1953 season.
After coming to Minnesota, Warmath had immediate success, leading the Gophers to a 7-2 record in his first season and a 6-1-2 record in 1956. However, Warmath came under fire after three straight losing seasons in which the Gophers would finish a combined 6-20, including the 1958 campaign in which the Gophers won only one game and the 1959 campaigns in which the Gophers would finish last in the Big Ten and win two games. Despite fans throwing garbage on his lawn and talk from Gopher boosters that the University should buy out the last two years of his contract,[3][4] Warmath would survive the storm and the following season the Gophers won the Big Ten title, with an 8-1 record, and were declared national champions.
While at Minnesota, Warmath became one of the most successful coaches in Gophers' history, leading the team to two Big Ten titles and two Rose Bowls. Warmath is the last Gophers coach to win a national championship, a Big Ten title, or a Rose Bowl[5] and he had the second longest tenure at the school (18 yrs) behind only Henry L. Williams. While coach, Warmath became known as a catalyst for social change, as he was one of the first major college coaches to take multiple black athletes in a single recruiting class. Quarterback Sandy Stephens, who was installed as the starting quarterback as a sophomore in 1959, was the first black All American quarterback. With the national exposure of his bowl appeareances, Warmath was able to recruit other top black athletes including future NFL stars Bobby Bell, Carl Eller, and Aaron Brown.[6]
Following the 1971 season, Cal Stoll was hired as coach of the Gophers and Warmath was made an assistant to the athletic director. Warmath stayed in that role until 1978 when he took a job with the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant coach, a position he held for two seasons before becoming a a regional scout for the team.[7]
In 18 seasons at Minnesota, Warmath's teams amassed an 87–78–7 (.526) record and won eight games in a season three times. He compiled a career record of 97–84–10.
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Playing and coaching career
Warmath played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under legendary coach Robert Neyland. After graduation from college, Warmath was the line coach for one season and end coach for three seasons at Tennessee before entering military service during World War II. After the service, he was named head line coach at Tennessee, and then served in the same capacity at the United States Military Academy under Red Blaik; Vince Lombardi was the backfield coach at Army during those years.[2] Warmath then spent two seasons (1952–1953) as head coach at Mississippi State University before being fired at the end of the 1953 season.After coming to Minnesota, Warmath had immediate success, leading the Gophers to a 7-2 record in his first season and a 6-1-2 record in 1956. However, Warmath came under fire after three straight losing seasons in which the Gophers would finish a combined 6-20, including the 1958 campaign in which the Gophers won only one game and the 1959 campaigns in which the Gophers would finish last in the Big Ten and win two games. Despite fans throwing garbage on his lawn and talk from Gopher boosters that the University should buy out the last two years of his contract,[3][4] Warmath would survive the storm and the following season the Gophers won the Big Ten title, with an 8-1 record, and were declared national champions.
While at Minnesota, Warmath became one of the most successful coaches in Gophers' history, leading the team to two Big Ten titles and two Rose Bowls. Warmath is the last Gophers coach to win a national championship, a Big Ten title, or a Rose Bowl[5] and he had the second longest tenure at the school (18 yrs) behind only Henry L. Williams. While coach, Warmath became known as a catalyst for social change, as he was one of the first major college coaches to take multiple black athletes in a single recruiting class. Quarterback Sandy Stephens, who was installed as the starting quarterback as a sophomore in 1959, was the first black All American quarterback. With the national exposure of his bowl appeareances, Warmath was able to recruit other top black athletes including future NFL stars Bobby Bell, Carl Eller, and Aaron Brown.[6]
Following the 1971 season, Cal Stoll was hired as coach of the Gophers and Warmath was made an assistant to the athletic director. Warmath stayed in that role until 1978 when he took a job with the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant coach, a position he held for two seasons before becoming a a regional scout for the team.[7]
In 18 seasons at Minnesota, Warmath's teams amassed an 87–78–7 (.526) record and won eight games in a season three times. He compiled a career record of 97–84–10.
Later life
In 1992, Warmath worked with author Mike Wilkinson to publish a biography entitled The Autumn Warrior in which he recounts his 65 year association with football.[8] Warmath remained in Minnesota after he retired from coaching and made public appearances well into his 90s and gave extended an interview as recently as 2007.[9] The the Gophers locker room at Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, which opened in 2009, is named after Warmath. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton declared 21 March, 2011, the date of his funeral at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Edina, MN, "Murray Warmath Day".[10]Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/Playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State Maroons (Southeastern Conference) (1952–1953) | |||||||||
| 1952 | Mississippi State | 5–4 | 3–4 | 7th | |||||
| 1953 | Mississippi State | 5–2–3 | 3–1–3 | 5th | |||||
| Mississippi State: | 10–6–3 | 6–5–3 | |||||||
| Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten Conference) (1954–1971) | |||||||||
| 1954 | Minnesota | 7–2 | 4–2 | 4th | 20 | ||||
| 1955 | Minnesota | 3–6 | 2–5 | 8th | |||||
| 1956 | Minnesota | 6–1–2 | 4–1–2 | T–2nd | 9 | 12 | |||
| 1957 | Minnesota | 4–5 | 3–5 | 8th | |||||
| 1958 | Minnesota | 1–8 | 1–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1959 | Minnesota | 2–7 | 1–6 | 10th | |||||
| 1960 | Minnesota | 8–2 | 5–1 | T–1st | L Rose | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1961 | Minnesota | 8–2 | 6–1 | 2nd | W Rose | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1962 | Minnesota | 6–2–1 | 5–2 | 2nd | 10 | 10 | |||
| 1963 | Minnesota | 3–6 | 2–5 | 9th | |||||
| 1964 | Minnesota | 5–4 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1965 | Minnesota | 5–4–1 | 5–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1966 | Minnesota | 4–5–1 | 3–3–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1967 | Minnesota | 8–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | 14 | ||||
| 1968 | Minnesota | 6–4 | 5–2 | T–3rd | 18 | ||||
| 1969 | Minnesota | 4–5–1 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1970 | Minnesota | 3–6–1 | 2–4–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1971 | Minnesota | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| Minnesota: | 87–78–7 | 65–57–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 97–84–10 | ||||||||
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll. | |||||||||
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