Ralph Jordan

"Shug Jordan" redirects here. For the Shug Jordan Parkway, see Alabama State Route 267.

Ralph Jordan

Jordan, c. 1960
Biographical details
Born	(1910-09-25)September 25, 1910 Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Died	July 17, 1980(1980-07-17) (aged 69) Auburn, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1928–1932	Auburn
Basketball
1929–1932	Auburn
Baseball
c. 1930	Auburn
Position(s)	Center (football) Guard (basketball) Pitcher (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1934–1942	Auburn (assistant)
1945	Auburn (assistant)
1946	Miami Seahawks (assistant)
1947–1950	Georgia (assistant)
1951–1975	Auburn
Basketball
1933–1942	Auburn
1945–1946	Auburn
1946–1950	Georgia
Head coaching record
Overall	176–83–6 (football) 136–103 (basketball)
Bowls	5–7
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football National (1957) SEC (1957)
Awards
Football 4x SEC Coach of the Year (1953, 1957, 1963, 1972)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1982 (profile)

James Ralph "Shug" Jordan (/ʃʊɡ ˈdʒɜːrdən/ SHUUG JUR-dən; September 25, 1910 – July 17, 1980) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at Auburn University from 1951 to 1975, where he compiled a record of 176–83–6. He has the most wins of any coach in Auburn Tigers football history. Jordan's 1957 Auburn squad went undefeated with a record of 10–0 and was named the national champion by the Associated Press. Jordan was also the head men's basketball coach at Auburn (1933–1942, 1945–1946) and at the University of Georgia (1946–1950), tallying a career college basketball record of 136–103. During his time coaching basketball, he also served as an assistant football coach at the two schools. Auburn's Jordan–Hare Stadium was renamed in Jordan's honor in 1973. Jordan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1982.

Early years and playing career

Born in Selma, Alabama, Jordan was nicknamed "Shug" as a child because of his love for sorghum sugar cane. A 1932 graduate of Auburn, he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball and was voted the Most Outstanding Athlete in 1932, awarded the Porter Loving Cup. Jordan was initiated into Theta Chi Fraternity at Auburn, and he started the Delta Beta chapter of Theta Chi at the University of Georgia.

Early coaching career

After graduation, Jordan became the head basketball coach and an assistant football coach at Auburn. In ten seasons (1933–1942, 1945–1946) as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men's basketball team, he compiled a record of 95–77. Jordan also compiled 45 wins as head basketball coach at Georgia. In addition to having the most wins by a football coach in Auburn history, Jordan ranks fifth in wins among Tigers basketball coaches.

Military service in World War II

During World War II, Jordan fought in four major invasions as a United States Army officer. He saw action in North Africa and Sicily before being wounded in the invasion of Normandy and receiving a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. After recovering from his wounds, he continued action in the Pacific theater, serving at Okinawa.

Head football coaching career

Prior to being hired as Auburn's head football coach in 1951, Jordan spent one season as an assistant coach of the Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference in 1946, and then four years as an assistant at the University of Georgia. When he became head football coach at Auburn, he retained assistants Shot Senn (linemen), Joel Eaves (defensive ends), and Dick McGowen as head freshmen team coach, all former Auburn players who had assisted Jordan's predecessor, Earl Brown. Jordan also hired George L. "Buck" Bradberry (defensive backfield), Homer Hobbs (assistant line), Gene Lorendo (offensive ends), all former Georgia players, and Charlie Waller (offensive backfield). McGowen also served as Auburn's head baseball coach from 1951 to 1957. By 1957 Jordan led Auburn to the Southeastern Conference title and AP national championship.

In 1971, Jordan coached quarterback Pat Sullivan to the Heisman Trophy. The next year, Jordan's Tigers upset heavily favored, arch-rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl, a victory which became known as Punt Bama Punt. In 1973, the university renamed Cliff Hare Stadium as Jordan–Hare Stadium in Jordan's honor, the first stadium in the United States to be named for an active coach. Reflecting Auburn's rise to national prominence under his watch, the stadium's capacity more than tripled during his tenure, from 21,600 when he returned to the Plains in 1951 to 61,261 when he retired. When Jordan retired after the 1975 season, he had amassed a record of 176–83–6 for a .675 winning percentage.

Death

Jordan died on July 17, 1980, at his home in Auburn, Alabama after a four-month fight with leukemia.

Personal life

Jordan met Evelyn Walker (1913–2011), a native of Augusta, Georgia, and a student at the University of South Carolina, when Jordan accompanied the Auburn University basketball team to a tournament there in 1934. Jordan and Walker married in 1937 and were the parents of three children. Evelyn Walker Jordan served as a Panhellenic advisor on the Auburn campus and became a licensed couples counsellor.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches#	AP°
Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1951–1975)
1951	Auburn	4–5	2–4	6th
1952	Auburn	2–8	0–7	12th
1953	Auburn	7–3–1	4–2–1	5th	L Gator		17
1954	Auburn	8–3	3–3	T–7th	W Gator		13
1955	Auburn	7–2–1	5–2–1	3rd	L Gator	8	8
1956	Auburn	3–3	3–3	5th
1957	Auburn	10–0	6–0	1st		2	1
1958	Auburn	9–0–1	6–0–1	2nd		4	4
1959	Auburn	7–3	4–3	5th		15
1960	Auburn	5–2	4–2	4th		14	13
1961	Auburn	5–4	3–4	7th
1962	Auburn	5–3–1	2–3	6th
1963	Auburn	6–2	5–1	2nd	L Orange	6	5
1964	Auburn	4–4	2–3	6th
1965	Auburn	4–5–1	3–1–1	4th	L Liberty
1966	Auburn	4–6	1–5	8th
1967	Auburn	6–4	3–3	7th
1968	Auburn	7–4	4–2	T–3rd	W Sun		16
1969	Auburn	8–3	5–2	T–3rd	L Astro-Bluebonnet	15	20
1970	Auburn	9–2	5–2	3rd	W Gator	9	10
1971	Auburn	7–2	4–1	T–2nd	L Sugar	5	12
1972	Auburn	8–1	6–1	2nd	W Gator	7	5
1973	Auburn	5–6	1–5	T–8th	L Sun
1974	Auburn	9–2	4–2	T–2nd	W Gator	6	8
1975	Auburn	3–6–2	1–4–1	T–7th
Auburn:		145–83–7	85–65–5
Total:		145–83–7
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll.

Basketball

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1933–1942)
1933–34	Auburn	2–11	2–9	12th
1934–35	Auburn	4–13	3–9	11th
1935–36	Auburn	10–7	7–4	5th
1936–37	Auburn	11–4	7–4	4th
1937–38	Auburn	14–5	6–3	4th
1938–39	Auburn	16–6	6–4	4th
1939–40	Auburn	7–10	6–7	8th
1940–41	Auburn	13–6	6–5	6th
1941–42	Auburn	11–6	9–5	5th
Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1945–1946)
1945–46	Auburn	7–9	7–6
Auburn:		95–77	59–56
Georgia Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (1946–1950)
1946–47	Georgia	2–3
1947–48	Georgia	18–10	6–8
1948–49	Georgia	17–13	6–9
1949–50	Georgia	4–2
Georgia:		41–28	12–17
Total:		136–103

Honors and awards

• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1969)
• Alabama Academy of Honor (1972)
• National Football Foundation Hall of Fame (1982)
• Senior Bowl Hall of Fame (1993)

External links

• Ralph Jordan at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Ralph Jordan at Find a Grave