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Jim Cullivan

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Jim Cullivan
Biographical details
Born (1921-06-10) June 10, 1921 (age 103)
Paris, Tennessee
Alma mater Murray State University
Playing career
1942, 1946–1948 Murray State
Position(s) Left guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1949–1950 Fulton High School (asst.)
1951–1955 Murray State (asst.)
1956–1959 Murray State
1961–1963 Eastern State (DC)
1964–1965 Appalachian State (B)
1966–1968 Grove High School (DC/HC)
1969–1970 Henry County High School
1973–1977 North Stanley High School
1978 Guilford (DL)
1979 Cawood High School (asst.)
1980–1988 Cawood High School
1989–? Tennessee Wesleyan (asst.)
c. 1990 UPFL team
Head coaching record
Overall 12–26–1 (college)

Owen James Cullivan Jr. (born June 10, 1921) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Murray State University from 1956 to 1959, compiling a record of 12–26–1, and had a coaching career that spanned over 40 years. He played college football for Murray State, and was on their 1948 championship team.

Early life and education

Cullivan was born on June 10, 1921, and grew up in Paris, Tennessee. He attended Grove High School there, playing on their championship football team in 1940. In 1942, and from 1946 to 1948, he played college football for Murray State, and was left guard for their 1948 conference championship team.[1] He missed seasons between 1943 and 1945 due to serving in the United States Army in World War II.[2]

Coaching career

After graduating college with a bachelor's and master's degree, Cullivan started a coaching career, being named assistant at Fulton High School in Kentucky in 1949.[3][4] After two years there, he returned to his alma mater Murray State as an assistant coach.[5] When head coach Fred Faurot resigned in 1956, Cullivan was named the replacement.[6] He finished his first season as head with a 6–4 record, with three of the four losses coming by one point.[7]

His team compiled a 3–5–1 record in 1957, a 3–7 record in 1958, and a winless 0–10 in the following, leading to his firing in January 1960.[8][9]

After leaving Murray State, Cullivan took a year off from coaching to work on a doctorate from University of Indiana.[10] In 1961, he was hired by Eastern State College (now Eastern Kentucky University) as defensive coordinator.[11] He resigned in 1964 to join Appalachian State University. He served as backfield coach for two years, and was associate professor of health and physical education.[12]

After two seasons with Appalachian State, he was signed by Grove High School in 1966 as defensive coordinator and head coach. While there, he coached his three sons, Jim, Bill, and Pat.[3] When the school closed in 1969, he moved to its successor,[13] Henry County High School, where he served for the next two years as their first football coach.[3]

He retired after 1970, and sat out the next two years. He returned in 1973 as coach of North Stanley High School in North Carolina, saying, "I sat out (of coaching) two years, but I got restless. Raising cattle didn't work out."[10] He left after five years, returning to college coaching with the Guilford Quakers as defensive line coach in 1978. He moved back to the high school level in 1979, joining Cawood High School in Kentucky as an assistant.[14] He was promoted to head coach in 1980, and posted a 65–21 football record in nine seasons. He helped them achieve two undefeated years and seven playoff berths.[3] In 1985, he was awarded The Courier-Journal's annual Coach of the Year award.[14]

Cullivan left the school in 1989 to become an assistant coach for Tennessee Wesleyan.[15] After a stint with them, he had a short stay with a team in the United Professional Football League (UPFL) before retiring.[3]

Later life

Cullivan celebrated his 100th birthday on June 10, 2021.[3]

Head coaching record

College football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Murray State Thoroughbreds (Ohio Valley Conference) (1956–1959)
1956 Murray State 6–4 4–1 2nd
1957 Murray State 3–5–1 1–3–1 5th
1958 Murray State 3–7 2–4 6th
1959 Murray State 0–10 0–6 7th
Murray State: 12–26–1 6–14–1
Total: 12–26–1
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. open access publication - free to read
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