11 Facts About Murray Warmath

Murray Warmath was an American college football player and coach.

In 1960, Warmath led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a share of the Big Ten Conference title, an appearance in the Rose Bowl, and a national championship, the program's most recent to date.

Murray Warmath played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under legendary coach Robert Neyland.

Murray Warmath then spent two seasons as head coach at Mississippi State University before resigning at the end of the 1953 season to take the Minnesota job.

Murray Warmath is the last Gophers coach to win a national championship, a Big Ten title, or a Rose Bowl.

Ironically, the year Murray Warmath won the wire service polls national championship, The University of Mississippi, Murray Warmath's archrival at Mississippi State, only narrowly lost the AP championship vote, but was declared the Football Writers Association of America national champion after it won the Sugar Bowl and all the bowl games were completed.

Murray Warmath's tenure crested after the 1967 Big Ten title season.

Murray 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 regional scout for the team.

In 1992, Murray Warmath worked with author Mike Wilkinson to publish a biography entitled The Autumn Warrior in which he recounts his 65-year association with football.

Murray Warmath remained in Minnesota after he retired from coaching and made public appearances well into his 90s and gave an extended interview as recently as 2007.

Murray Warmath died on March 16,2011, at the retirement community in Bloomington, Minnesota, where he resided.