Tom Nugent
Encyclopedia
Thomas N. "Tom" Nugent (February 24, 1913 – January 19, 2006) was an American college football
coach and innovator, sportscaster
, public relations
man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute
, Florida State University
, and the University of Maryland
. His career record was 89–80–3. Nugent is credited with the development of the I formation
.
, Massachusetts
, attended Ithaca College
in upstate New York
, where he played baseball, basketball, football, and track, and earned ten varsity letter
s. He graduated from Ithaca in 1936.
During World War II
, Nugent served in the United States Army Air Corps
and attained the rank of captain. He worked as a fitness instructor for deploying officers, and later, as the director of entertainment of a military installation in Missouri
.
in Virginia
. In January 1949, while coaching at Hopewell High School
, he was hired by the Virginia Military Institute
to replace head coach Slick Morton who had resigned to take over at Mississippi State
.
In his first game as a collegiate coach, William & Mary routed VMI, 54–6. The Indians' head coach, Rube McCray
, said he would never lose to a former high school coach. To counteract William & Mary's large defensive line and linebacker corps
, Nugent began developing the I formation
, which he debuted the following year in 1950. VMI beat William & Mary, 28–23 and upset 28-point favorite , 14–13. The Keydets posted over 400 offensive yards in both contests. The new formation's success prompted Notre Dame
head coach Frank Leahy
to send two assistant coaches to observe VMI's spring practice the following year. In the second quarter of the 1951 season opener against , Notre Dame used the I formation to score four touchdown
s. Nugent began giving coaching clinics on the I formation, and in 1961, John McKay replaced his pro T with the I at Southern California. McKay's success with the formation the following season prompted more teams to adopt it around the country. The I formation's invention is occasionally misattributed to McKay or Leahy, to which Nugent responded, "It's something that's long been misunderstood ... But all you have to do is look it up."
Before the 1951 season, VMI was said to have "the finest assortment of material since Bosh Pritchard
and Joe Muha
." The Keydets finished 7–3 for a share of the Southern Conference
co-championship. In January 1952, the Washington State University
was reportedly interested in hiring Nugent as its head coach.
in 1953, and brought with him the I formation. He said, "People were very skeptical at first. They said it would never work. But it didn't take long to realize we were onto something big." The Florida State football program was less than a decade old, and the previous season's team had only managed one win.
Nugent coached Florida State in its first football game against intrastate rival Florida
. The match-up required haggling with his University of Florida
counterpart, coach Bob Woodruff, about whom Nugent said, "It seems he wants us to promise everything but lose the game."
In 1954, Florida State finished with an 8–3 record and earned an invitation to the 1955 Sun Bowl, the school's first postseason game
on New Year's Day
. They were defeated by Texas Western
, 47–20. In 1958, Nugent led the Seminoles to a 7–3 record. They played in the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl, where they were defeated, 15–6.
During his tenure at Florida State, he also served as athletic director
and coached ESPN
analyst Lee Corso
and actor Burt Reynolds
. Reynolds said, "He put FSU on the map in the early years."
His final record at Florida State was 34–28–1.
." The Mountaineers were Maryland's first opponent of the season, and Nugent guided the Terrapins to a 27–7 victory in that game.
In 1961, Nugent's Maryland team became the first college football program in the nation to put players' names on the back of their jersey
s. That season, he led the Terrapins to the best season of his tenure and finished with a 7–3 record. A highlight of the season was the 21–17 defeat of Penn State, the only Maryland victory of the 37-game series. The Terrapins also defeated seventh-ranked Syracuse
, 22–21.
Nugent amassed a 36–34 record during his tenure at Maryland. He remained the last Maryland coach to win his inaugural game with the team until Ralph Friedgen
matched that feat in 2001.
. In the late 1960s, he spent four years with ABC
affiliate
WPLG
in Miami. In the 1970s, he worked in public relations
, including at the Florida Institute of Technology
in Melbourne, Florida
.
In 1970, Ithaca College inducted Nugent into its Ithaca Sports Hall of Fame. The Florida State University Hall of Fame inducted Nugent in 1983. He has also been inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame
. In 1998, he received the Ithaca College Alumni Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. The National Football Foundation
bestowed upon him the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award in 2000.
Nugent was married to wife Peg in 1941, and the couple had five sons and four daughters. He survived his wife, who died in 2002. He retired, first to Indian Harbor Beach, Florida in the 1980s, and then the Westminster Oaks Health Center in Tallahassee, Florida
, where he died of congestive heart failure on January 19, 2006.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach and innovator, sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
, 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...
, and the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. His career record was 89–80–3. Nugent is credited with the development of the I formation
I formation
The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players' alignments in the T formation.The formation begins with...
.
Early life
Nugent, a native of LawrenceLawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, attended Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
in upstate New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, where he played baseball, basketball, football, and track, and earned ten varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s. He graduated from Ithaca in 1936.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Nugent served in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
and attained the rank of captain. He worked as a fitness instructor for deploying officers, and later, as the director of entertainment of a military installation in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Virginia Military Institute
Nugent began his football coaching career at the interscholastic levelHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. In January 1949, while coaching at Hopewell High School
Hopewell High School (Virginia)
Hopewell High School is a secondary school located in Hopewell, Virginia. This is the only High School in Hopewell, Virginia. Hopewell High School's biggest rivalry is Petersburg High School- Sports :...
, he was hired by the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
to replace head coach Slick Morton who had resigned to take over at Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
.
In his first game as a collegiate coach, William & Mary routed VMI, 54–6. The Indians' head coach, Rube McCray
Rube McCray
Ruben North "Rube" McCray was the head coach for the William & Mary Tribe men's basketball team from 1943 to 1945. He compiled an overall record of 17–21 ....
, said he would never lose to a former high school coach. To counteract William & Mary's large defensive line and linebacker corps
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, Nugent began developing the I formation
I formation
The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players' alignments in the T formation.The formation begins with...
, which he debuted the following year in 1950. VMI beat William & Mary, 28–23 and upset 28-point favorite , 14–13. The Keydets posted over 400 offensive yards in both contests. The new formation's success prompted Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
head coach Frank Leahy
Frank Leahy
Francis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive...
to send two assistant coaches to observe VMI's spring practice the following year. In the second quarter of the 1951 season opener against , Notre Dame used the I formation to score four touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. Nugent began giving coaching clinics on the I formation, and in 1961, John McKay replaced his pro T with the I at Southern California. McKay's success with the formation the following season prompted more teams to adopt it around the country. The I formation's invention is occasionally misattributed to McKay or Leahy, to which Nugent responded, "It's something that's long been misunderstood ... But all you have to do is look it up."
Before the 1951 season, VMI was said to have "the finest assortment of material since Bosh Pritchard
Bosh Pritchard
Abisha Collins "Bosh" Pritchard was an American football halfback in the National Football League who played for ten seasons for the Cleveland Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants...
and Joe Muha
Joe Muha
Joseph George "Joe" Muha was a professional American football fullback and linebacker in the National Football League. He played 5 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles and was their starting fullback four of those years. He was a two-time All-Pro selection.He served as a second lieutenant in the...
." The Keydets finished 7–3 for a share of the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
co-championship. In January 1952, the Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
was reportedly interested in hiring Nugent as its head coach.
Florida State
Nugent took over as head coach at Florida State UniversityFlorida 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...
in 1953, and brought with him the I formation. He said, "People were very skeptical at first. They said it would never work. But it didn't take long to realize we were onto something big." The Florida State football program was less than a decade old, and the previous season's team had only managed one win.
Nugent coached Florida State in its first football game against intrastate rival Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. The match-up required haggling with his University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
counterpart, coach Bob Woodruff, about whom Nugent said, "It seems he wants us to promise everything but lose the game."
In 1954, Florida State finished with an 8–3 record and earned an invitation to the 1955 Sun Bowl, the school's first postseason game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
. They were defeated by Texas Western
UTEP Miners football
The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl...
, 47–20. In 1958, Nugent led the Seminoles to a 7–3 record. They played in the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl, where they were defeated, 15–6.
During his tenure at Florida State, he also served as athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
and coached ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst Lee Corso
Lee Corso
Leland "Lee" Corso is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football through NCAA Football 11...
and actor Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
. Reynolds said, "He put FSU on the map in the early years."
His final record at Florida State was 34–28–1.
Maryland
At the first practice before the 1959 season, Nugent addressed his team, "Hi, I'm Tom Nugent and I hate West VirginiaWest Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
." The Mountaineers were Maryland's first opponent of the season, and Nugent guided the Terrapins to a 27–7 victory in that game.
In 1961, Nugent's Maryland team became the first college football program in the nation to put players' names on the back of their jersey
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
s. That season, he led the Terrapins to the best season of his tenure and finished with a 7–3 record. A highlight of the season was the 21–17 defeat of Penn State, the only Maryland victory of the 37-game series. The Terrapins also defeated seventh-ranked Syracuse
1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team
The 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in the 1961 NCAA University Division college football season. Running back Ernie Davis would become the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.-Schedule:...
, 22–21.
Nugent amassed a 36–34 record during his tenure at Maryland. He remained the last Maryland coach to win his inaugural game with the team until Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
matched that feat in 2001.
Later life
Upon the conclusion of his coaching career, Nugent worked as a sports broadcasterSportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. In the late 1960s, he spent four years with ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate
Network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
WPLG
WPLG
WPLG, channel 10, is an ABC network affiliated television station located in Miami, Florida. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. The station's studios are located in Pembroke Park, and its transmitter is located at the massive broadcast...
in Miami. In the 1970s, he worked in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, including at the Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...
in Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
.
In 1970, Ithaca College inducted Nugent into its Ithaca Sports Hall of Fame. The Florida State University Hall of Fame inducted Nugent in 1983. He has also been inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame
Florida Sports Hall of Fame
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame is an association dedicated to honoring athletes with outstanding achievement in sports in Florida. It has expanded its goals to include encouraging physical fitness among Florida's citizens through the example of its honorees.The FSHOF was founded by the Florida...
. In 1998, he received the Ithaca College Alumni Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. The National Football Foundation
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
bestowed upon him the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award in 2000.
Nugent was married to wife Peg in 1941, and the couple had five sons and four daughters. He survived his wife, who died in 2002. He retired, first to Indian Harbor Beach, Florida in the 1980s, and then the Westminster Oaks Health Center in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, where he died of congestive heart failure on January 19, 2006.