Leon M. Sandifer, former coach and Athletic Hall of Fame member at Austin Peay State University, died Monday in Clarksville at the age of 78.
Visitation will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Neal-Tarpley Funeral Home. Further arrangements will be announced by the funeral home.
Mr. Sandifer was a native of South Carolina before coming to Austin Peay and starting in football, baseball and track from 1937-39. He returned to South Carolina and starred at Clemson University for two years. He was a member of the 1940 team that won the Cotton Bowl and ended the year No. 7 in the nation.
Mr. Sandifer joined the army in 1942 and was stationed in Italy and Germany before his discharge in 1946. He got his master's degree in health and physical education from the University of Michigan before returning to Austin Peay as assistant athletic director in 1948.
Mr. Sandifer served as the line coach for the Governors' football team from 1948-1953, but it was on the baseball diamond where Mr. Sandifer had the majority of his coaching success. He was baseball coach from 1948-1969, with the exception of 1951-53, when he was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict.
Austin Peay's baseball team finished .500 or better 10 times when Mr. Sandifer was at the helm and his teams won two Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) titles. Mr. Sandifer also guided the Govs to a NCAA College Division Region title.
Mr. Sandifer was an associate professor of health and physical education at the time of his retirement in 1983.
During his time at Austin Peay Mr. Sandifer had the opportunity to coach several prominent athletes, including former Austin Peay basketball coach and Athletic Director George Fisher, who played football under Mr. Sandifer.
Fisher said Mr. Sandifer was a great person to be with and gave a lot to the programs at Austin Peay. "(Mr. Sandifer) was a very funny man and related well to his students," he said. "He was the kind of person you loved to be with. He contributed a lot to the athletic programs at Austin Peay."
Mr. Sandifer related so well to the athletes he coached that in some cases, they became the best of friends. That was the case with Tom Morgan, who played baseball for Mr. Sandifer.
"(Morgan) was one of his greatest friends and they were just wonderful pals" Fisher said. "They would go fishing together. Tom played baseball for him and the fondness just went on".
Mr. Sandifer's wit extended to the classroom, according to Fisher..
"He was the kind of person you just sat and visited with and he was very witty and funny," he said. "One of the legends about him is that he was teaching football class one day arid he wanted to demonstrate about pulling guards. So he got into the three-point stance and sprinted up the aisle and out the door in the back of the class and he kept on going until he came back in the door at the front of the class. That's just one example of humorous things he'd do with his classes."
Source: The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) 25 Mar 1997, Tue - Page 12
Contributor: DLP (49732503)
Visitation will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Neal-Tarpley Funeral Home. Further arrangements will be announced by the funeral home.
Mr. Sandifer was a native of South Carolina before coming to Austin Peay and starting in football, baseball and track from 1937-39. He returned to South Carolina and starred at Clemson University for two years. He was a member of the 1940 team that won the Cotton Bowl and ended the year No. 7 in the nation.
Mr. Sandifer joined the army in 1942 and was stationed in Italy and Germany before his discharge in 1946. He got his master's degree in health and physical education from the University of Michigan before returning to Austin Peay as assistant athletic director in 1948.
Mr. Sandifer served as the line coach for the Governors' football team from 1948-1953, but it was on the baseball diamond where Mr. Sandifer had the majority of his coaching success. He was baseball coach from 1948-1969, with the exception of 1951-53, when he was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict.
Austin Peay's baseball team finished .500 or better 10 times when Mr. Sandifer was at the helm and his teams won two Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) titles. Mr. Sandifer also guided the Govs to a NCAA College Division Region title.
Mr. Sandifer was an associate professor of health and physical education at the time of his retirement in 1983.
During his time at Austin Peay Mr. Sandifer had the opportunity to coach several prominent athletes, including former Austin Peay basketball coach and Athletic Director George Fisher, who played football under Mr. Sandifer.
Fisher said Mr. Sandifer was a great person to be with and gave a lot to the programs at Austin Peay. "(Mr. Sandifer) was a very funny man and related well to his students," he said. "He was the kind of person you loved to be with. He contributed a lot to the athletic programs at Austin Peay."
Mr. Sandifer related so well to the athletes he coached that in some cases, they became the best of friends. That was the case with Tom Morgan, who played baseball for Mr. Sandifer.
"(Morgan) was one of his greatest friends and they were just wonderful pals" Fisher said. "They would go fishing together. Tom played baseball for him and the fondness just went on".
Mr. Sandifer's wit extended to the classroom, according to Fisher..
"He was the kind of person you just sat and visited with and he was very witty and funny," he said. "One of the legends about him is that he was teaching football class one day arid he wanted to demonstrate about pulling guards. So he got into the three-point stance and sprinted up the aisle and out the door in the back of the class and he kept on going until he came back in the door at the front of the class. That's just one example of humorous things he'd do with his classes."
Source: The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) 25 Mar 1997, Tue - Page 12
Contributor: DLP (49732503)
Leon M. Sandifer, former coach and Athletic Hall of Fame member at Austin Peay State University, died Monday in Clarksville at the age of 78.
Visitation will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Neal-Tarpley Funeral Home. Further arrangements will be announced by the funeral home.
Mr. Sandifer was a native of South Carolina before coming to Austin Peay and starting in football, baseball and track from 1937-39. He returned to South Carolina and starred at Clemson University for two years. He was a member of the 1940 team that won the Cotton Bowl and ended the year No. 7 in the nation.
Mr. Sandifer joined the army in 1942 and was stationed in Italy and Germany before his discharge in 1946. He got his master's degree in health and physical education from the University of Michigan before returning to Austin Peay as assistant athletic director in 1948.
Mr. Sandifer served as the line coach for the Governors' football team from 1948-1953, but it was on the baseball diamond where Mr. Sandifer had the majority of his coaching success. He was baseball coach from 1948-1969, with the exception of 1951-53, when he was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict.
Austin Peay's baseball team finished .500 or better 10 times when Mr. Sandifer was at the helm and his teams won two Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) titles. Mr. Sandifer also guided the Govs to a NCAA College Division Region title.
Mr. Sandifer was an associate professor of health and physical education at the time of his retirement in 1983.
During his time at Austin Peay Mr. Sandifer had the opportunity to coach several prominent athletes, including former Austin Peay basketball coach and Athletic Director George Fisher, who played football under Mr. Sandifer.
Fisher said Mr. Sandifer was a great person to be with and gave a lot to the programs at Austin Peay. "(Mr. Sandifer) was a very funny man and related well to his students," he said. "He was the kind of person you loved to be with. He contributed a lot to the athletic programs at Austin Peay."
Mr. Sandifer related so well to the athletes he coached that in some cases, they became the best of friends. That was the case with Tom Morgan, who played baseball for Mr. Sandifer.
"(Morgan) was one of his greatest friends and they were just wonderful pals" Fisher said. "They would go fishing together. Tom played baseball for him and the fondness just went on".
Mr. Sandifer's wit extended to the classroom, according to Fisher..
"He was the kind of person you just sat and visited with and he was very witty and funny," he said. "One of the legends about him is that he was teaching football class one day arid he wanted to demonstrate about pulling guards. So he got into the three-point stance and sprinted up the aisle and out the door in the back of the class and he kept on going until he came back in the door at the front of the class. That's just one example of humorous things he'd do with his classes."
Source: The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) 25 Mar 1997, Tue - Page 12
Contributor: DLP (49732503)
Visitation will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Neal-Tarpley Funeral Home. Further arrangements will be announced by the funeral home.
Mr. Sandifer was a native of South Carolina before coming to Austin Peay and starting in football, baseball and track from 1937-39. He returned to South Carolina and starred at Clemson University for two years. He was a member of the 1940 team that won the Cotton Bowl and ended the year No. 7 in the nation.
Mr. Sandifer joined the army in 1942 and was stationed in Italy and Germany before his discharge in 1946. He got his master's degree in health and physical education from the University of Michigan before returning to Austin Peay as assistant athletic director in 1948.
Mr. Sandifer served as the line coach for the Governors' football team from 1948-1953, but it was on the baseball diamond where Mr. Sandifer had the majority of his coaching success. He was baseball coach from 1948-1969, with the exception of 1951-53, when he was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict.
Austin Peay's baseball team finished .500 or better 10 times when Mr. Sandifer was at the helm and his teams won two Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) titles. Mr. Sandifer also guided the Govs to a NCAA College Division Region title.
Mr. Sandifer was an associate professor of health and physical education at the time of his retirement in 1983.
During his time at Austin Peay Mr. Sandifer had the opportunity to coach several prominent athletes, including former Austin Peay basketball coach and Athletic Director George Fisher, who played football under Mr. Sandifer.
Fisher said Mr. Sandifer was a great person to be with and gave a lot to the programs at Austin Peay. "(Mr. Sandifer) was a very funny man and related well to his students," he said. "He was the kind of person you loved to be with. He contributed a lot to the athletic programs at Austin Peay."
Mr. Sandifer related so well to the athletes he coached that in some cases, they became the best of friends. That was the case with Tom Morgan, who played baseball for Mr. Sandifer.
"(Morgan) was one of his greatest friends and they were just wonderful pals" Fisher said. "They would go fishing together. Tom played baseball for him and the fondness just went on".
Mr. Sandifer's wit extended to the classroom, according to Fisher..
"He was the kind of person you just sat and visited with and he was very witty and funny," he said. "One of the legends about him is that he was teaching football class one day arid he wanted to demonstrate about pulling guards. So he got into the three-point stance and sprinted up the aisle and out the door in the back of the class and he kept on going until he came back in the door at the front of the class. That's just one example of humorous things he'd do with his classes."
Source: The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) 25 Mar 1997, Tue - Page 12
Contributor: DLP (49732503)
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