Warren Brooks Woodson (February 24, 1903 – February 22, 1998) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Arkansas State Teachers College, now the University of Central Arkansas, (1935–1940), Hardin–Simmons University (1941–1951), the University of Arizona (1952–1956), New Mexico State University (1958–1967), and Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas (1972–1973), compiling a career college football record of 203–94–14 in 31 seasons. He was also the head basketball coach at Arkansas State Teachers from 1935 to 1941 and at Hardin–Simmons in 1945–46, tallying a career college basketball mark of 116–50. Woodson won an additional 52 football games at junior college level and 18 high school football games. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

Warren B. Woodson
Biographical details
Born(1903-02-24)February 24, 1903
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 22, 1998(1998-02-22) (aged 94)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1927–1934Texarkana
1935–1940Arkansas State Teachers
1941–1951Hardin–Simmons
1952–1956Arizona
1958–1967New Mexico A&M / State
1972–1973Trinity (TX)
Basketball
1935–1941Arkansas State Teachers
1945–1946Hardin–Simmons
Baseball
1936Arkansas State Teachers
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1941–1952Hardin–Simmons
1958–1967New Mexico A&M / State
1968–1973Trinity (TX)
Head coaching record
Overall203–94–14 (college football)
116–50 (college basketball)
Bowls6–1–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
4 AIC (1936–1938, 1940)
3 Border (1942, 1946, 1960)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1989 (profile)

Education and coaching career

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Woodson received a degree from Baylor University in 1924, majoring in Bible and history, and a degree from Springfield College in 1926, majoring in physical education. He coached four sports at Texarkana College from 1927 to 1934 and, in three of the same years also coached three sports at a nearby high school.

He then moved on to Arkansas State Teachers College (now University of Central Arkansas) in Conway from 1935 to 1940. In his second year, his team had a perfect 8–0 season. Won 2000 Elijah Pitts Award (named after the Conway, Arkansas, native and Green Bay Packer legend) for Conway athletic lifetime achievement.

Woodson accepted the head coaching job at Hardin–Simmons University in 1941. During World War II, Woodson served for three years as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy. The Hardin-Simmons football program was canceled from 1943 to 1945. After Woodson returned, his 1946 team went unbeaten with an 11–0 record. His 1948 team was in three bowls: the Grape Bowl on December 4, a 35–35 tie with College of the Pacific; the Shrine Bowl December 18, a 40–12 victory over Ouachita Baptist; and Camellia Bowl December 30, a 49–12 victory over Wichita.

Woodson coached at the University of Arizona from 1952 to 1956 and at New Mexico State University from 1958 to 1967. His 1960 team went 11–0. He was head coach at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas from 1972 to 1973 and later was consultant at New Mexico Highlands.

Woodson coached players who won the national rushing title nine times:

Death

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Woodson died of colon cancer on February 22, 1998, at his home in Dallas, Texas.[1]

Head coaching record

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College football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Arkansas State Teachers Bears (Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference) (1935–1940)
1935 Arkansas State Teachers 4–3
1936 Arkansas State Teachers 8–0 1st
1937 Arkansas State Teachers 8–1 1st L Charity
1938 Arkansas State Teachers 7–1 1st
1939 Arkansas State Teachers 5–2–2
1940 Arkansas State Teachers 8–1–1 1st
Arkansas State Teachers: 40–8–3
Hardin–Simmons Cowboys (Border Conference) (1941–1951)
1941 Hardin–Simmons 7–3–1 3–1 4th
1942 Hardin–Simmons 9–0–1[n 1] 4–0–1 T–1st Sun[n 1]
1943 No team—World War II
1944 No team—World War II
1945 No team—World War II
1946 Hardin–Simmons 11–0 6–0 1st W Alamo
1947 Hardin–Simmons 8–3 5–1 2nd W Harbor
1948 Hardin–Simmons 6–2–3 3–2–1 5th T Grape, W Shrine, W Camellia
1949 Hardin–Simmons 6–4–1 4–2 T–3rd
1950 Hardin–Simmons 5–5 3–3 5th
1951 Hardin–Simmons 6–6 4–1 T–2nd
Hardin–Simmons: 57–23–6 32–10–2
Arizona Wildcats (Border Conference) (1952–1956)
1952 Arizona 6–4 3–2 3rd
1953 Arizona 4–5–1 3–2 4th
1954 Arizona 7–3 3–2 4th
1955 Arizona 5–4–1 1–2–1 5th
1956 Arizona 4–6 1–2 4th
Arizona: 26–22–2 11–10–1
New Mexico A&M / New Mexico State Aggies (Border Conference) (1958–1961)
1958 New Mexico A&M 4–6 1–3 4th
1959 New Mexico A&M 8–3 2–2 T–3rd W Sun
1960 New Mexico State 11–0 4–0 1st W Sun 19 17
1961 New Mexico State 5–4–1 2–1 3rd
New Mexico State Aggies (Independent) (1962–1967)
1962 New Mexico State 4–6
1963 New Mexico State 3–6–1
1964 New Mexico State 6–4
1965 New Mexico State 8–2
1966 New Mexico State 7–3
1967 New Mexico State 7–2–1
New Mexico State: 63–36–3 9–6
Trinity Tigers (NCAA College Division / Division II independent) (1972–1973)
1972 Trinity 8–2
1973 Trinity 8–3
Trinity: 16–5
Total: 203–94–14
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Woodson went into service in the United States Navy at the end of the regular season. Clark Jarnagin served as interim head coach for the 1943 Sun Bowl.

References

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  1. ^ "Former UA Coach Warren Woodson dies of cancer". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. February 23, 1998. p. 5. Retrieved April 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com  .
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