Red Dawson - A Coach in Progress: Marshall Football?A Story of Survival and Revival

Copyright 2015 by Red Dawson and Patrick Garbin

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Tom Lau

Cover photo: Dr. Joseph Chambers

ISBN: 978-1-61321-822-8

Ebook ISBN 978-1-61321-849-5

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1
Not PerfectAnd, Far From It

CHAPTER 2
Hey, You Got Any Red Man?

CHAPTER 3
Violations and Victories

CHAPTER 4
100 Percent, Big League

CHAPTER 5
No Way that Anything Worse Can Happen to Us

CHAPTER 6
A Long, Winding Recruiting Trail

CHAPTER 7
The Quitter

CHAPTER 8
The Beginning

CHAPTER 9
Trying to Survive My Guilt

CHAPTER 10
Finally, A Part of We

CHAPTER 11
A Second Chance

To the seventy-five people of Marshall who lost their lives on November 14, 1970, but whose spirits will live for eternity.

R.D.

To Elizabeth, Trip, and Rebecca, who give me their constant love and encouragement.

To my late Herschela DGD!

To the seventy-five we will never forget, who gave their lives for a fine university and its accomplished football program.

P.G.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T HERE ARE SO MANY people from my past and present I should recognize for their unconditional support, guidance, and inspiration for this, my first book project, along with many other life experiences, most prominently:

My fatherfive-foot-seven, 150-pound Big Jackfor teaching me how to work hard, and encouraging me to be somebody.

My mother, Big Lou, for being an extraordinary woman, feeding me, and patching my wounds.

Lewis and Mart Hill, for being great friends, guiding me all my life. And Ill never forget the great hunting.

All my coaches from junior high through the pros; theres too many to name, although Bobby Bowden was my favorite of favorites.

Frank Bird, an older friend, who helped rebuild my confidence, which included improving my ability to fish.

Buddy Coleman and Frank King, friends for life after growing up together in Valdosta, Georgia.

Lucille Sineath, Rhett Dawson, and the late Jack Dawson, the best siblings anyone could ever have.

Marshall Hall of Fame golf coach Joe Feaganes, who taught me how to play golf, but Im still not worth a hoot.

Marshall University, which saved me from a life of bitterness, especially these individuals: Steve Kopp, Bobby Pruett, Jim Donnan, Doc Holliday, and Bob Marcum. To Bob, youre a tremendously tough man, whom I greatly admire.

My life love, who also grew up with me in Valdosta, Rosie Alexander, for encouraging me to walk the straight line.

My children, Katie and Bill Dawson.

R.D.

For this inspiring and gratifying, yet at times challenging book project on Red Dawson and his affiliation with Marshall University and its football program, there are a number of individuals I need to identify for the support they have given me.

To my three ultimate supporters, to whom this book is partly dedicated; plus, my parents, who have always encouraged me, and still provide even today a proofreading prowess exceeded by few professional editors.

Notably, this is only the second of nine traditionally published books I have authored not focusing on University of Georgia football, and my first that is a single continuous narrative. I would like to acknowledge Skyhorse Publishing for taking a chance on an author encountering subject matter and a writing style I was fairly unaccustomed to, and particularly our editor on the project, Julie Ganz, for her tremendous guidance and extraordinary patience throughout the entire process.

I extend my appreciation to the number of sources who supplied photographs for this book, particularly Debbie Chambers, whose contributions included the cover image taken by her father. Dr. Joseph Chambers was not only an esteemed physician in Huntington but a devoted Marshall supporter who could often be found along the sidelines at Thundering Herd games as the football programs unofficial team photographer. Dr. Chambers and his wife, Peggy, were among the seventy-five who died in the plane crash, leaving Debbie and her sister, Cindy, both Marshall cheerleaders at the time, orphaned. Still, Debbie epitomized the Marshall spirit by continuing to exhibit her unwavering support for the university and its athletic teams.

Last but certainly not least, I want to acknowledge Marshall University, its football program, the people of Huntington, and especially Red Dawson for sharing the moving Marshall spirit with me for a few days in mid-November 2014a spirit that inspired the writing of this book, and one I have embraced ever since.

P.G.

FOREWORD

BY BOBBY BOWDEN

W ILLIAM (B ILL ) R ED D AWSON is as good an example of a good ole southern country boy as any I know. Born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia, which is about forty miles north of the southeast Florida line, he attended and starred in football at Valdosta High School. The Wildcats seemed like they won the Georgia State Championship nearly every year under the guidance of Coach Wright Bazemore. Red received a football scholarship to Florida State University and enrolled in 1960. Florida State had been an all-girls school up to 1947, the first official year in which it also fielded a football team.

I came to Tallahassee in January of 1963 as the tight endreceivers coach. I was Dawsons position coach his junior and senior years. He was always one of my favorite players during my fifty-seven years of coaching. He was a yes, sir and no, sir type of guy who would play his heart out to get the job done. I spent many a practice with Red driving a blocking sled which he pushed all over the field. In 1964, Reds senior year, FSU had its most successful year up to that point climaxed by a Gator Bowl win over Oklahoma, which helped to put Florida State on the map. From FSU, Red went right into pro ball and afterwards into coaching.

Eventually, I went to West Virginia University and became head football coach in 1970. A couple of years before, Red became an assistant coach at Marshall University. There, our paths crossed again. When the Marshall plane crashed in 1970, killing everyone aboard, my initial thought was to wonder if Dawson was on that plane. Watching TV as they released the names of all who died, I kept looking for Reds name. I hoped and prayed he was alive, although I lost other friends in the crash. It was a sad day for me, as well as the whole state of West Virginia.

Due to my relationship with Coach Dawson, I was contacted by Marshalls new head coach, Jack Lengyel, about me helping them with their new offensive plans in the spring of 1971. They had only freshmen available and I invited them to come to my office. For a few days, I allowed them to study our film, peruse our playbook, and get whatever they needed.