1. Tommy Joe Hudspeth was an American and Canadian football coach and executive at both the collegiate and professional levels.
11 Facts About Tommy Hudspeth
1. 2.
Tommy Hudspeth graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1953 after completing his playing career at the school.
3.
Tommy Hudspeth moved into the coaching ranks that fall as an assistant coach at Norman High School in Oklahoma, then served the next two years in the military.
4.
In 1964, Tommy Hudspeth became a head coach for the first time, taking over the Brigham Young Cougars struggling football program.
5.
Tommy Hudspeth is credited with recruiting the program's first black player, Ronnie Knight, in 1970, following pressure from the LDS leadership and the "Black 14" Incident with Wyoming the previous year.
6.
On January 22,1972, Tommy Hudspeth resigned and was replaced by one of his assistant coaches, LaVell Edwards.
7.
Tommy Hudspeth accepted a job as offensive coordinator at the University of Texas at El Paso shortly after leaving BYU.
8.
Tommy Hudspeth was hired as an offensive backs coach for the Chicago Fire.
9.
However, during the course of the season, the team's weak defense, coupled with severe financial troubles, eventually saw Tommy Hudspeth take over the defensive backfield coaching duties.
10.
On March 7,1979, Tommy Hudspeth returned to Canada when he signed a three-year contract to become the general manager of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
11.
In 2006, Tommy Hudspeth was hired by University of Tulsa director of athletics Bubba Cunningham as an assistant in the area of development and fundraising for athletics.