Hootie Ingram
Encyclopedia
Cecil W. "Hootie" Ingram (born September 2, 1933) is a former American football
player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States
. He played for the University of Alabama
from 1952 to 1954 and was selected as an All-SEC
defensive back in 1952. He worked as an assistant football coach at several colleges, including the University of Georgia
and University of Arkansas
before receiving a head coaching assignment at Clemson University
from 1970 to 1972. He was an administrator with the Southeastern Conference
in the 1970s and later served as an athletic director at Florida State University
(1981–89) and Alabama (1989–95).
, Ingram was the son of Wayne and Ella Ingram. He attended Tuscaloosa High School where he received four varsity letters in basketball and three each in football and baseball. In his senior year, he was selected as an All-State halfback, elected to the All-Fifth District basketball team, and played East-West All-Star baseball game in Birmingham, Alabama
. He graduated from Tuscaloosa High School in 1951.
in the fall of 1951 where he was a multi-sport star. He won three letters each in football and baseball. He won acclaim as a football player for the Crimson Tide football
teams from 1952 to 1954.
As a sophomore in 1952, Ingram was selected as an All-SEC
defensive back. In December 1952, the United Press International
ran a feature story on Ingram calling him the "Tide's Honorable Thief," due to his talent for intercepting passes. The story gave warning to Alabama's Orange Bowl opponent, "Pre-Orange Bowl warning to Syracuse: beware of Cecil Ingram, an honorable thief. The slender Alabama sophomore safetyman stole more passes thrown by opponents than any other man in the Southeastern Conference this year." His ten interceptions in 1952 (including two returned for touchdowns) tied the Southeastern Conference record for interceptions in a season. He added an eleventh interception in the 1953 Orange Bowl
game on January 1, 1953, as Alabama crushed Syracuse 61–6. He also set an Alabama Orange Bowl record with an 80-yard punt return in the 1953 Orange Bowl.
During the 1953 football season, Ingram was moved to the quarterback position on an Alabama team that included Pro Football Hall of Fame
quarterback Bart Star
. He also played at the halfback position in 1953.
As a senior in 1954, Ingram played at the halfback position, with Bart Starr filling the quarterback position for the Crimson Tide. In September 1954, he ran 68 yards for a touchdown against LSU
.
In March 1955, Ingram signed a contract to play professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles
, though he never played in any regular season games for the Eagles.
in Bradenton, Florida
. At Manatee, he served on the staff of head coach Wheeler Leeth, who had been Ingram's high school football coach in Tuscaloosa. In June 1957, he returned to Tuscaloosa to serve as a head football coach at Brookwood High School. In February 1958, he was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Tuscaloosa County High School
. He then held assistant coach positions at Wake Forest (1960), Virginia Tech
(1961–1963), and Georgia
(1964–1966). From 1967 to 1969, he served as a defensive coach under Frank Broyles
at the University of Arkansas
, earning a reputation as "a defensive genius." In December 1969, he was hired as the head football coach at Clemson University
. He served three seasons as Clemson's head coach from 1970 to 1972, compiling a 12–21 record. He resigned as Clemson's head coach in December 1972. He is notable for having introduced the trademark "tiger paw" logo to Clemson.
, first as assistant commissioner for administration as associate commissioner. In January 1981, Ingram was hired as the athletic director at Florida State University
. During Ingram's tenure at Florida State, the school won the NCAA Division I national football championship
in 1987. 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. Ingram hired Gene Stallings
as Alabama's football coach, and the Crimson Tide won the NCAA Division I national football championship
in 1992. 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. Ingram said he could no longer effectively serve as athletic director after the NCAA's rebuke and asked to be re-assigned.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He played for the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
from 1952 to 1954 and was selected as an All-SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
defensive back in 1952. He worked as an assistant football coach at several colleges, including the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
before receiving a head coaching assignment at Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
from 1970 to 1972. He was an administrator with the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
in the 1970s and later served as an athletic director at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
(1981–89) and Alabama (1989–95).
Early years
A native of Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Ingram was the son of Wayne and Ella Ingram. He attended Tuscaloosa High School where he received four varsity letters in basketball and three each in football and baseball. In his senior year, he was selected as an All-State halfback, elected to the All-Fifth District basketball team, and played East-West All-Star baseball game in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He graduated from Tuscaloosa High School in 1951.
University of Alabama
Ingram enrolled at the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in the fall of 1951 where he was a multi-sport star. He won three letters each in football and baseball. He won acclaim as a football player for the Crimson Tide football
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
teams from 1952 to 1954.
As a sophomore in 1952, Ingram was selected as an All-SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
defensive back. In December 1952, the United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
ran a feature story on Ingram calling him the "Tide's Honorable Thief," due to his talent for intercepting passes. The story gave warning to Alabama's Orange Bowl opponent, "Pre-Orange Bowl warning to Syracuse: beware of Cecil Ingram, an honorable thief. The slender Alabama sophomore safetyman stole more passes thrown by opponents than any other man in the Southeastern Conference this year." His ten interceptions in 1952 (including two returned for touchdowns) tied the Southeastern Conference record for interceptions in a season. He added an eleventh interception in the 1953 Orange Bowl
1953 Orange Bowl
The 1953 Orange Bowl, part of the 1952 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1953, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference and the , competing as a football independent. Alabama won the game by a record...
game on January 1, 1953, as Alabama crushed Syracuse 61–6. He also set an Alabama Orange Bowl record with an 80-yard punt return in the 1953 Orange Bowl.
During the 1953 football season, Ingram was moved to the quarterback position on an Alabama team that included Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback Bart Star
Bart Star
"Bart Star" is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired November 9, 1997. The title of this episode is a play on Bart Starr...
. He also played at the halfback position in 1953.
As a senior in 1954, Ingram played at the halfback position, with Bart Starr filling the quarterback position for the Crimson Tide. In September 1954, he ran 68 yards for a touchdown against LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
.
In March 1955, Ingram signed a contract to play professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, though he never played in any regular season games for the Eagles.
Football coach
Ingram began a coaching career in July 1956 when he was hired as an assistant football coach at Manatee High SchoolManatee High School
Manatee High School is an American public high school in Bradenton, Florida operated by the Manatee County School District.- History :What is now Manatee High School has had at least four names over the years and has had several different grade configurations during that time...
in Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
. At Manatee, he served on the staff of head coach Wheeler Leeth, who had been Ingram's high school football coach in Tuscaloosa. In June 1957, he returned to Tuscaloosa to serve as a head football coach at Brookwood High School. In February 1958, he was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Tuscaloosa County High School
Tuscaloosa County High School
Tuscaloosa County High School serves grades 9-12 and is located in Northport, Alabama, forming part of the Tuscaloosa County Schools. Tuscaloosa County High was opened near downtown Northport in the 1920s, and around the year 2000 was moved to its current location, further north of...
. He then held assistant coach positions at Wake Forest (1960), Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
(1961–1963), and Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
(1964–1966). From 1967 to 1969, he served as a defensive coach under Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, earning a reputation as "a defensive genius." In December 1969, he was hired as the head football coach at Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
. He served three seasons as Clemson's head coach from 1970 to 1972, compiling a 12–21 record. He resigned as Clemson's head coach in December 1972. He is notable for having introduced the trademark "tiger paw" logo to Clemson.
Athletic director and administrator
After resigning his position at Clemson, Ingram spent eight years working on the staff of the Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, first as assistant commissioner for administration as associate commissioner. In January 1981, Ingram was hired as the athletic director at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. During Ingram's tenure at Florida State, the school won the NCAA Division I national football championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
in 1987. 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. Ingram hired Gene Stallings
Gene Stallings
Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr. is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University , where he was one of the "Junction Boys", and later served as the head coach at his alma mater from 1965 to 1971. Stallings was also the head coach of the St...
as Alabama's football coach, and the Crimson Tide won the NCAA Division I national football championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
in 1992. 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. Ingram said he could no longer effectively serve as athletic director after the NCAA's rebuke and asked to be re-assigned.