Paul Burnum Paul Burnum ( February 6 , 1900 – September 14 , 1981 ) was a coach of multiple sports at the University of Alabama , having served as head coach of the school ' s men ' s basketball and baseball teams and an assistant for the football team . He was also the head football coach at Tuscaloosa High School in the university ' s home city of Tuscaloosa , where he led the Black Bears to an undefeated record , five state championships and a pair of national championships during his five - year tenure there . After his career as a coach ended , Burnum worked in private business and served as a member of the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education . After his death in 1981 , Burnum was posthumously inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame . Early years . Paul Burnum was born on February 6 , 1900 , at Cullman , Alabama . He later attended the University of Alabama , and after he graduated in 1922 , Burnum began his coaching career . Coaching career . Football . High school . After he served as an assistant coach at Denfeld High School in Duluth , Minnesota in 1922 and as head coach for two seasons at Clio High School in Clio , Alabama , Burnum began his five - year tenure with the Tuscaloosa High School Black Bears in 1925 . In the season prior to his arrival , the Black Bears went winless ; however , from 1925 through 1929 Burnum led Tuscaloosa to an overall record of 42 wins , zero losses and one tie ( 42 – 0 – 1 ) . With his only blemish having been a 7 – 7 tie against Cullman High School in the final game of the 1925 season , Burnum led the Black Bears to four consecutive , undefeated seasons . For their overall efforts , the five Tuscaloosa teams coached by Burnum were retroactively recognized as state champions by The National Sports News Service . In addition to his undefeated record and later recognition as state champions , both the 1926 and 1929 teams were later selected as the winner of the High School Football National Championship . Burnum also was known for having scheduled a series of intersectional games against other to high school teams of the period . These games included victories over Senn High School of Chicago in 1926 , Lakeland High School in 1927 , McKinley Technology High School of Washington , D . C . in 1928 and University City High School of University City , Missouri in 1929 . His teams were so dominant that " The Saturday Evening Post " printed a story that implied Tuscaloosa High was solely a feeder school for players recruited by Alabama , however the story was later retracted . College . After his successful tenure as head coach at Tuscaloosa High School , Burnum was hired to serve as an assistant coach on the Alabama football team in 1930 . He was personally hired by University President George H . Denny and was paid a salary of $ 4 , 000 ( $ in 2018 dollars ) for an initial contract of five years . He remained on staff as the freshman coach through 1941 , and was promoted to the varsity as a line coach for the 1942 season . During his tenure , Burnum was known for his recruiting abilities and some of the players he helped bring to Alabama included Bear Bryant , Don Hutson , Dixie Howell and Joe Domnanovich . Burnum later resigned from his position with the Crimson Tide in February 1944 . Basketball . During his only season as head coach , he led Alabama to a record of ten wins and ten losses ( 10 – 10 , 9 – 9 in the SEC ) . During the season , Burnum led the Crimson Tide to a 41 – 32 upset victory over Adolph Rupp ' s Kentucky Wildcats at Foster Auditorium . Baseball . In March 1943 , Burnum was named head baseball coach for the Crimson Tide . The 1943 squad only had five returning lettermen that were part of the previous seasons SEC Championship team . During his only season as head coach , Burnum did not lose a single series and completed the season with a record of twelve wins and six losses ( 12 – 6 , 9 – 4 in the SEC ) . Later life . After his coaching career was completed in 1944 , Burnum entered private business as president and general manager of Warrior Box & Lumber Company in Tuscaloosa . In December 1952 , he was appointed to the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education by the City Commission to complete the term of a member who resigned from his post on the Board . He remained on the Board through July 1967 when he resigned his position due to poor health . He later died on September 14 , 1981 , at Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa . He was posthumously inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 in recognition of his contributions to sport in the state .