Football coach and athletic administrator; was born to Jonathan and Cleopatra Bible in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on October 8, 1891. He graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1908 and subsequently received a B.A. from Carson-Newman College. He started his coaching career at Mississippi College, where Texas A&M recruited him in 1916 to coach its freshman team. In 1917 the school promoted Bible to head coach, and the team won the first of five Southwest Conference championships under his leadership.
In 1922 in the Dixie Classic, the precursor of the Cotton Bowl, he began what became known as the Twelfth Man Tradition. He left A&M in 1929 to coach the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. During eight seasons at Nebraska he won six conference championships and had a record of forty-nine wins, fifteen losses, and seven ties. He returned to Texas in 1936 to coach A&M's main rival, the University of Texas Longhorns.
In five seasons Bible took the Longhorns from last place to first place in the Southwest Conference. His team also won the SWC title in 1943 and 1945. Before he retired from coaching in 1946, his UT record stood at sixty-three wins, thirty-one losses, and three ties. From 1947 to 1956 Bible served as UT's athletic director.
Bible was a charter member of the National Football Hall of Fame and the 1954 recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award. In 1959 he was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Bible was on the National Collegiate Football Rules Committee for twenty-five years and served as a president of the American Football Coaches Association.
He married Rowena Rhodes on December 19, 1923; the couple raised two children. Rowena died in 1942, and Bible married Agnes Stacy in 1944; the union ended in divorce in 1950. He married Dorothy Gilstrap on February 2, 1952. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, a Shriner, and a Baptist. He died on January 19, 1980, and was buried at Memorial Park in Austin. (From the Handbook of Texas Online, by David S. Walkup)
In 1922 in the Dixie Classic, the precursor of the Cotton Bowl, he began what became known as the Twelfth Man Tradition. He left A&M in 1929 to coach the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. During eight seasons at Nebraska he won six conference championships and had a record of forty-nine wins, fifteen losses, and seven ties. He returned to Texas in 1936 to coach A&M's main rival, the University of Texas Longhorns.
In five seasons Bible took the Longhorns from last place to first place in the Southwest Conference. His team also won the SWC title in 1943 and 1945. Before he retired from coaching in 1946, his UT record stood at sixty-three wins, thirty-one losses, and three ties. From 1947 to 1956 Bible served as UT's athletic director.
Bible was a charter member of the National Football Hall of Fame and the 1954 recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award. In 1959 he was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Bible was on the National Collegiate Football Rules Committee for twenty-five years and served as a president of the American Football Coaches Association.
He married Rowena Rhodes on December 19, 1923; the couple raised two children. Rowena died in 1942, and Bible married Agnes Stacy in 1944; the union ended in divorce in 1950. He married Dorothy Gilstrap on February 2, 1952. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, a Shriner, and a Baptist. He died on January 19, 1980, and was buried at Memorial Park in Austin. (From the Handbook of Texas Online, by David S. Walkup)
Football coach and athletic administrator; was born to Jonathan and Cleopatra Bible in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on October 8, 1891. He graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1908 and subsequently received a B.A. from Carson-Newman College. He started his coaching career at Mississippi College, where Texas A&M recruited him in 1916 to coach its freshman team. In 1917 the school promoted Bible to head coach, and the team won the first of five Southwest Conference championships under his leadership.
In 1922 in the Dixie Classic, the precursor of the Cotton Bowl, he began what became known as the Twelfth Man Tradition. He left A&M in 1929 to coach the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. During eight seasons at Nebraska he won six conference championships and had a record of forty-nine wins, fifteen losses, and seven ties. He returned to Texas in 1936 to coach A&M's main rival, the University of Texas Longhorns.
In five seasons Bible took the Longhorns from last place to first place in the Southwest Conference. His team also won the SWC title in 1943 and 1945. Before he retired from coaching in 1946, his UT record stood at sixty-three wins, thirty-one losses, and three ties. From 1947 to 1956 Bible served as UT's athletic director.
Bible was a charter member of the National Football Hall of Fame and the 1954 recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award. In 1959 he was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Bible was on the National Collegiate Football Rules Committee for twenty-five years and served as a president of the American Football Coaches Association.
He married Rowena Rhodes on December 19, 1923; the couple raised two children. Rowena died in 1942, and Bible married Agnes Stacy in 1944; the union ended in divorce in 1950. He married Dorothy Gilstrap on February 2, 1952. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, a Shriner, and a Baptist. He died on January 19, 1980, and was buried at Memorial Park in Austin. (From the Handbook of Texas Online, by David S. Walkup)
In 1922 in the Dixie Classic, the precursor of the Cotton Bowl, he began what became known as the Twelfth Man Tradition. He left A&M in 1929 to coach the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. During eight seasons at Nebraska he won six conference championships and had a record of forty-nine wins, fifteen losses, and seven ties. He returned to Texas in 1936 to coach A&M's main rival, the University of Texas Longhorns.
In five seasons Bible took the Longhorns from last place to first place in the Southwest Conference. His team also won the SWC title in 1943 and 1945. Before he retired from coaching in 1946, his UT record stood at sixty-three wins, thirty-one losses, and three ties. From 1947 to 1956 Bible served as UT's athletic director.
Bible was a charter member of the National Football Hall of Fame and the 1954 recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award. In 1959 he was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Bible was on the National Collegiate Football Rules Committee for twenty-five years and served as a president of the American Football Coaches Association.
He married Rowena Rhodes on December 19, 1923; the couple raised two children. Rowena died in 1942, and Bible married Agnes Stacy in 1944; the union ended in divorce in 1950. He married Dorothy Gilstrap on February 2, 1952. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, a Shriner, and a Baptist. He died on January 19, 1980, and was buried at Memorial Park in Austin. (From the Handbook of Texas Online, by David S. Walkup)
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