Former Late Tulane Football Coach Buddy Teevens Named 2024 NFF Outstanding Contributor To Amateur Football Award Recipient

Former Late Tulane Football Coach Buddy Teevens Named 2024 NFF Outstanding Contributor To Amateur Football Award Recipient

Oct 9, 2024 | Football

IRVING, TX (reprinted with permission) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that Coach Buddy Teevens, who headed the football programs at Tulane along with Dartmouth, Stanford and Maine, will be posthumously honored as the 2024 recipient of the NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award. He will officially be recognized Dec. 10 during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at the Bellagio Resort & Casino.

Teevens was the leader of Green Wave from 1992-96 and accumulated an overall record of 11-45. He is one of only 11 coaches in school history to have served as the head coach for five or more seasons. His most noteworthy victory came in his second year when Tulane knocked off then No. 2 Alabama, who were the 1992 national champions, by a 31-17 score on Sept. 4, 1993 on the road in Birmingham.

"Universally loved and admired, Buddy connected with everyone who crossed his path," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "He mentored thousands of players and assistant coaches during his 44 years on the sidelines, and his passion for the game led him to become an innovator and pioneer in making the game safer for future generations as well as hiring female coaches. Buddy was a great coach but more than that he was just a great guy who wanted to make the game better for all.

"When we first approached him about the Manning Passing Academy in 1996 to help improve the game for high school players, he simply said, 'Let's do it,' and he just became a rock for the event over the years. I can't think of a more fitting tribute to his memory than to add his name to the esteemed list of NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football recipients."

"Coach T came to the table with solutions to make the game safer and, ultimately, better," said Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League and a member of the NFF Board of Trustees. "His impact both on college football and the NFL has been enormous."

First presented in 1974, the NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award provides national recognition to those whose efforts to support the NFF and its goals have been local in nature or who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to the manner in which it is played and coached or to the manner in which it is enjoyed by spectators. Teevens becomes the 45th recipient of the award.

Teevens, who quarterbacked Dartmouth to the 1978 Ivy League title before a 44-year coaching career, suffered life altering injuries during a bicycling accident in March 2023 before passing away on Sept. 19, 2023. He was 66.

Teevens became nationally known for his methods to protect players from concussions, instituting a ban on tackling during practice starting in 2010. He continued to pioneer safety innovations in 2015 when collaborated with students at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering to develop the Mobile Virtual Player (MVP), the world's first robotic tackling dummy. MVPs have become widely used by high schools, colleges, and NFL teams as well as adaptations used by the military, significantly reducing concussions.

Teevens played an instrumental role in launching the famed Manning Passing Academy in 1996, going on to serve as an associate director at the camp for 25 years and overseeing all aspects of the on-field operations until his injury in 2023. In 2018, he organized the camp's first clinic for women coached by women. Afterwards, he hired Callie Brownson, who was one of the coaches at the clinic, as an offensive quality control coach at Dartmouth, making her the first full-time female Division I coach in college football history.

Teevens continued to hire female coaches, welcoming six female coaches to his staff during his tenure at Dartmouth. His vision to hire women changed the landscape at all levels, including the NFL where, in 2020 with the Cleveland Browns, Brownson became the first woman in history to coach a position group during a game.

A head football coach for more than 30 years, including two stints at Dartmouth equaling 22 years in total, Teevens, launched his head coaching career at Maine from 1985-86. He landed the top job at his alma mater in 1987, beginning his first tour with the Big Green, which ran from 1987-91 and included a share of the Ivy League title in 1990 and the outright crown the following year. He left Hanover for the top jobs at Tulane (1992-1996) and Stanford (2002-04) with stops in between as an assistant at Illinois (1997-98) and Florida (1999-2001) under Hall of Fame coach Steve Spurrier.

He returned to head the Big Green program in 2005, leading the team to a share of the Ivy League crown in 2015, 2019, and 2021. While at Dartmouth, Teevens was honored as the New England Coach of the Year three times, in 1990, 2015, and 2019, and Ivy League Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2021. All told, he led Dartmouth to five conference titles and a 117-101-2 record, including 83-70-1 in the Ivy League, making him the Big Green's all-time winningest coach.

Born October 1, 1956, and a native of Pembroke, Massachusetts, Teevens earned an A.B. degree in history from Dartmouth in 1979. He starred on the football team, claiming the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year in 1978 after leading the Big Green to the Ivy League title. He earned All-America honorable mention laurels that year while being named the ECAC Player of the Year. He also lettered in hockey, helping take Dartmouth to a third-place finish at the 1979 NCAA championship. He was voted the Alfred W. Watson Trophy as Dartmouth's outstanding athlete as a senior. He is just one of three Ivy Leaguers to win a conference crown as a player and a head coach.

On May 18, more than 1,500 of his family members, former players, teammates, classmates, and fans gathered on Memorial Field at Dartmouth to celebrate his life, and Dartmouth announced the facility would be renamed as the Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field, which officially occurred Oct. 5 during the Big Green's Ivy League home opener against Penn. The College also has established the Kirsten and Eugene F. "Buddy" Teevens '79 Scholarship Fund in his honor.

Teevens will be honored during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10. The 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas will also provide the stage for the induction of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; and the bestowing of the 35th William V. Campbell Trophy® to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.

For more information on the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, including how to register for tickets, please click here.

NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award Recipients
2024 – Buddy Teevens, Head Football Coach
2023 – Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff Executive Director
2020 – Don McPherson, Hall of Fame QB & Advocate for Prevention of Gender-Based Violence
2018 – Murry Bowden, Atlanta Hall Management Chairman
2016 – Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director & Coach
2015 – Charlie and Pete Gogolak, Placekicking Revolutionaries
2014 – Jim Host, Sports Marketing Pioneer
2013 – Dennie Poppe, NCAA Administrator
2011 – Verne Lundquist, Legendary Network Broadcaster
2011 – Brent Musburger, Legendary Network Broadcaster
2010 – Dr. Joseph Kearney, Athletics Administrator
2009 – Dan Jenkins, Longtime Sportswriter & Author
2008 – Bill Battle, Athletics Administrator & Marketing Innovator
2007 – The Collegiate Bowl Games, College Football Tradition
2006 – ESPN's College GameDay, Pioneering TV Program
2005 – Prentice Gautt, College Football Pioneer
2004 – Rick Dickson, Athletics Director
2004 – Pat Harmon, Sportswriter & NFF Historian
2003 – Rudy J. Riska, Executive Director of the Heisman Trophy
2002 – Dal Shealy, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
2001 – Thomas C. Hansen, Conference Commissioner
2000 – Tom Nugent, Innovative College Football Coach
1999 – Chuck Neinas, Influential Collegiate Administrator
1998 – Marino H. Casem, Influential College Football Coach
1997 – Jack Lengyel, College Football Coach & Athletics Director
1996 – Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw, Conference Commissioner
1995 – Fred Jacoby, Conference Commissioner
1994 – Mike Cleary, NACDA Executive Director
1993 – John E. "Buddy" Leake, NFF Chapter Leader
1992 – Eddie Robinson, Influential College Football Coach/Legend
1991 – Don B. Canham, Michigan Athletics Director
1990 – Bill Nicholas, Tournament of Roses Chairman
1989 – Bob Woodruff, College Football Coach & Administrator
1988 – Lindsey Nelson, Legendary Network Broadcaster
1987 – Chris Schenkel, Legendary Network Broadcaster
1986 – Rex Farrior, Florida Sports Ambassador
1985 – A.F. "Bud" Dudley, Liberty Bowl Founder
1983 – Gov. William Winter, 58th Governor of Mississippi
1982 – Earnest E. Seiler, Orange Bowl Founder
1981 – Edward "Moose" Krause, Notre Dame Athletics Director
1980 – Field Scovell, Cotton Bowl Selection Chairman
1978 – Jack Farcasin, Early NFF Chapter Leader
1975 – Joseph J. Tomlin, Founder of Pop Warner Football
1974 – Lathrop King Leishman, Longtime Rose Bowl Leader
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Tulane has started the 2024 season with a 4-2 record and 2-0 mark in the AAC. The Green Wave earned a road 71-20 conference victory over UAB on Oct. 5. Makhi Hughes led the team with 119 yards rushing while averaging 7.9 yards per carry and totaling two touchdowns on the ground. Jamauri McClure picked up 84 yards rushing and his first collegiate touchdown. Arnold Barnes III ran for 82 yards and a pair of score. Darian Mensah was efficient in going 12-for-15 for 134 yards and a touchdown. Ty Thompson was 2-for-3 for 46 yards plus had both a passing and rushing touchdown. Yulkeith Brown total 60 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown receptions. The team also got a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown from Rayshawn Pleasant and a 29-yard interception touchdown return from Chris Rodgers. The 71 points scored by Tulane was the most points for the program since putting up 72 against Louisiana during the 1998 season. The 51-point margin of victory over UAB was the largest for Green Wave in a conference game since shutting out then fellow Southeastern Conference member Sewanee by a 52-0 score in 1939. Both losses for Tulane this season have come to teams ranked in Associated Press Top 25 including a 34-27 home defeat to then No. 17 Kansas State on Sept. 7 and a 34-19 road loas to then No. 15 Oklahoma on Sept. 14.

Tulane leads the AAC is tied for the national lead in defensive touchdowns with four. The program is placed third in passing efficiency with a 152.85. The Green Wave are also leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally in kick return average at 30.07. The team has already been honored by the league office seven times this season with Rayshawn Pleasant being named the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2 and the Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 6, Darian Mensah taking home Weekly Honor Roll distinction on Sept. 9 and Sept. 30, Tyler Grubbs earning Weekly Honor Roll recognition on Sept. 16, Makhi Hughes picking up Weekly Honor Roll distinction on Sept. 23 and Gerrod Henderson earning Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 30.

Tulane's football team was chosen for third in the AAC Preseason Media Poll with 362 points plus two first-place votes at the annual conference media day.

This season, Tulane brings back three of the team's five starters on the offensive line (Shadre Hurst, Josh Remetich, Rashad Green), the leading rusher in the conference (Makhi Hughes), two of the team's top four receivers (Alex Bauman, Yulkeith Brown), the team's punter (Will Karoll) and long snapper (Ethan Hudak), the team's top three tacklers (Jesus Machado, Tyler Grubbs and Bailey Despanie) and three of the six leading defensive players in tackles for loss (Patrick Jenkins, Tyler Grubbs and Kameron Hamilton).

Tulane finished the 2023 season with a mark of 11-3 and a perfect 8-0 record in the American Athletic Conference. The program concluded the campaign with the 16th bowl appearance at the GoBowling Military Bowl contest against Virginia Tech. It was the fifth time in the last six years that Tulane has appeared in a bowl game. The team is 25-7 over the last three seasons.

The school announced the hiring of Jon Sumrall as the 42nd head coach of the team on December 8, 2023. The Huntsville, Alabama native was one of the most successful head coaches in the country the last two seasons. He guided Troy University to a 23-4 record, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returns to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave's Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane's run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.

Next, Tulane's football team, after a bye this week, hosts Rice University on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Yulman Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. The team's remaining schedule includes home games against Temple (Nov. 9) and Memphis (Nov. 28). The team's 2024 road games includes trips to North Texas (October 26), Charlotte (October 31) and Navy (November 16).

TICKETS
Tickets for the football, volleyball and the upcoming men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.

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Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.

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