20 Facts About Hootie Ingram

Cecil W "Hootie" Ingram was an American college football player, coach, and athletics administrator.

Hootie Ingram played for the University of Alabama from 1952 to 1954 and was selected as an All-SEC defensive back in 1952.

Hootie Ingram worked as an assistant football coach at several colleges, including the University of Georgia and University of Arkansas before he received a head coaching assignment at Clemson University from 1970 to 1972.

Hootie Ingram was an administrator with the Southeastern Conference in the 1970s and later served as an athletic director at Florida State University and Alabama.

Hootie Ingram attended Tuscaloosa High School, where he received four varsity letters in basketball and three each in football and baseball.

Hootie Ingram enrolled at the University of Alabama in the fall of 1951 where he was a multi-sport star.

Hootie Ingram won three letters each in football and baseball.

Hootie Ingram won acclaim as a football player for the Crimson Tide football teams from 1952 to 1954.

In December 1952, the United Press International ran a feature story on Hootie Ingram calling him the "Tide's Honorable Thief," due to his talent for intercepting passes.

Hootie Ingram set an Alabama Orange Bowl record with an 80-yard punt return in the 1953 Orange Bowl.

In March 1955, Hootie Ingram signed a contract to play professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles, though he never played in any regular season games for the Eagles.

Hootie Ingram began a coaching career in July 1956 when he was hired as the backfield coach football coach at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida.

Hootie Ingram resigned as Clemson's head coach in December 1972.

In January 1981, Hootie Ingram was hired as the athletic director at Florida State University.

Hootie Ingram remained as Florida State's athletic director until September 1989, at which time he returned to his alma mater, signing a five-year contract as the University of Alabama's athletic director.

Hootie Ingram hired Gene Stallings as Alabama's football coach, and the Crimson Tide won the college football national championship in 1992.

Hootie Ingram stepped down as Alabama's athletic director in August 1995 after being reprimanded for his role in rules violations that led the NCAA to place the school on probation for three years.

Hootie Ingram said he could no longer effectively serve as athletic director after the NCAA's rebuke and asked to be reassigned.

Hootie Ingram died on May 6,2024, in a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of 90.

In 1991, Hootie Ingram was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.