Hall of Fame
Some say football at Ole Miss began when John Vaught began
his coaching career there. Vaught was an organizer, a man
who believed in detailed preparation before each game. He
poured over game films and scouting reports religiously; he
hated a surprise on a Saturday afternoon. University of
Mississippi Chancellor Porter L. Fortune, Jr. said on John
Vaught Day in 1971, "John Vaught trained the boys to become
men while imparting to them some of his own extraordinary
skills as an athlete." Vaught was born on May 6, 1909, in
Olney, Texas. He attended Polytechnic High School in Fort
Worth and was class president and valedictorian. He moved
on to Texas Christian University and was an honor student,
football captain, and, in 1932, All-America guard. His first
college coaching job was as assistant at North Carolina 1936-
1941. Vaught served in the Navy in World War II and was a
lieutenant commander. He went to the University of
Mississippi as assistant coach in 1946, moved up to head
coach in 1947. He retired after the 1970 season but came
back to direct the team the last 8 games of 1973. Vaught's
record was 190-61-12, a .745 percentage. His 1960 team
was named national champion by the Football Writers
Association.
