Hall of Fame
Whenever today's football buffs turn the conversation to
modern-day coaches and gridiron dynasties, the name Bud
Wilkinson is certain to dominate the chatter. Wilkinson was an
excellent quarterback and guard on coach Bernie Bierman's
Minnesota teams of 1934 through 1936, before going to the
University of Oklahoma and compiling one of the best records
in modern football history. Over 17 years, Wilkinson's
Sooners rolled to a 145-29-4 record. Under Wilkinson,
Oklahoma was virtually unstoppable, running off winning
streaks of 31 and 47 games. Wilkinson's 1950, 1955 and
1956 squads were national champions, and the 1956 Sooners
averaged 46.6 points per game. His team won conference
championships 14 of 17 years. In an 11-year stretch 1948-58
his record was 107-8-2. He was named Coach of the Year in
1949 and received the Stagg Award for contribution to
football in 1977. He emphasized educational values to his
players and close to 90 percent obtained degrees. Wilkinson
had a master's degree in English. He came out of retirement to
coach a pro team, the St. Louis Cardinals, 1979-80. After
that he made St. Louis his home. Oklahoma brought him back
September 23, 1991, for an event called "A tribute to Bud."
His old players spoke at the gala dinner. Bud Wilkinson was
born April 23, 1916, in Minneapolis; he died February 9,
1994.
