From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Ralph "Shug" Jordan (JERD-an) (September 25, 1910 - July 17, 1980) was the winningest football coach at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. The university's Jordan-Hare Stadium is named in his honor. Jordan was named National Coach of the Year in 1957 when Auburn was voted national champions by the Associated Press.

Born in Selma, Alabama, Jordan was nicknamed "Shug" as a child because of his love for sugar cane. A 1932 graduate of Auburn, he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball while there and was voted the Most Outstanding Athlete in 1932. He was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. After graduation, he became the head basketball coach, and an assistant football coach at Auburn. In ten seasons (1934-42, 1945-1946) as the head basketball coach, he compiled a record of 95-77. Coach Jordan also compiled 45 wins as head basketball coach at Georgia. In addition to being the winningest football coach in Auburn history, Jordan ranks fifth in wins among Tigers basketball coaches.

During World War II, he saw significant action in North Africa and Sicily before being wounded in the invasion of Normandy and receiving a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He continued in action in the Pacific theater after recovering. Jordan served in every major invasion of World War II in which the U.S. Army played a role (North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and Okinawa).

Prior to being hired as Auburn's head football coach in 1951, he spent one season as an assistant coach of the Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference in 1946, then four years as an assistant at the University of Georgia. He retained Brown's previous assistants Shot Senn (linemen), Joel Eaves (defensive ends) and Dick McGowen as head freshmen team coach (all former Auburn players) and 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 Tiger head baseball coach from 1951 to 1957. In his first season, Jordan coached the Tigers to a 5-5 record improving on the previous five straight losing seasons. Jordan would lead Auburn to its first SEC championship and its first, and only national championship in 1957. In 1971, Jordan's tutelage led quarterback Pat Sullivan to the Heisman Trophy. However, his Heisman season ended in disappointment with a convincing loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl. The next year, Jordan's Tigers upset heavily-favored, arch-rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl - a victory which became known by the nickname Punt Bama Punt. In 1973, the university renamed Cliff Hare Stadium to Jordan-Hare Stadium in his honor making it the first stadium in the U.S. to be named for an active coach. When Jordan retired after the 1975 season he had amassed an enviable record of 176-83-6 for a .675 percentage and 22 winning seasons out of the 25 he had coached.

Head coaching record

Football

Basketball

Honors and awards

• SEC Coach of the Year - 1953, 1957, 1963, 1972
• 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 "Shug" Jordan article, Encyclopedia of Alabama
• State of Alabama Archive bio
• Pictures of Jordan at WAUD (AM) website
• Ralph Jordan at Find a Grave Retrieved on 2008-08-03