American Football player and coach, baseball player and coach - Born in rural Arkansas, Zachary H Curlin rose to prominence as a college football player and later multi-sport coach. Following his parents' untimely deaths, Zach and his brother Clarence were first sent to live with an aunt in west Tennessee but they eventually came to live in Memphis with extended family. In Memphis, he attended Christian Brothers and the Webb School and eventually attended Vanderbilt University. While there, he was a member of the 1910 to 1913 football teams including 1912 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship team. He also played baseball for the Commodores. Following college, Curlin began a coaching career at Castle Heights and Hendrix College. By 1924 though, he returned to Memphis as the coach of the West Tennessee Normal School (later the University of Memphis) football team. He would coach the team through the 1936 season and had overall record of 43-60-14. The 1929 team was the first undefeated football team in school history with a record of 8-0-2. Curlin also coached basketball for 23 years, amassing a record of 173 wins and 184 losses which is the third most wins of any coach in the university's history. Known as "Mr. Everything," Curlin also served as athletic director and the head of the physical education and intramural departments in addition to his coaching duties. He was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 1974 and a street on the university's campus bears his name. An award is given annually in his name that recognizes the top male student-athlete at the University of Memphis that possesses his "drive, enthusiasm and determination for academics and athletics while maintaining a concern for others."
American Football player and coach, baseball player and coach - Born in rural Arkansas, Zachary H Curlin rose to prominence as a college football player and later multi-sport coach. Following his parents' untimely deaths, Zach and his brother Clarence were first sent to live with an aunt in west Tennessee but they eventually came to live in Memphis with extended family. In Memphis, he attended Christian Brothers and the Webb School and eventually attended Vanderbilt University. While there, he was a member of the 1910 to 1913 football teams including 1912 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship team. He also played baseball for the Commodores. Following college, Curlin began a coaching career at Castle Heights and Hendrix College. By 1924 though, he returned to Memphis as the coach of the West Tennessee Normal School (later the University of Memphis) football team. He would coach the team through the 1936 season and had overall record of 43-60-14. The 1929 team was the first undefeated football team in school history with a record of 8-0-2. Curlin also coached basketball for 23 years, amassing a record of 173 wins and 184 losses which is the third most wins of any coach in the university's history. Known as "Mr. Everything," Curlin also served as athletic director and the head of the physical education and intramural departments in addition to his coaching duties. He was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 1974 and a street on the university's campus bears his name. An award is given annually in his name that recognizes the top male student-athlete at the University of Memphis that possesses his "drive, enthusiasm and determination for academics and athletics while maintaining a concern for others."
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