Josh Cody Joshua C . Cody ( June 11 , 1892 – June 17 , 1961 ) was an American college athlete , head coach and athletics director . Cody was a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of Vanderbilt University , where he was a three - time All - American college football player . After graduation from Vanderbilt , Cody coached college football , basketball and baseball and served as the athletics director at various universities , including Clemson University , Vanderbilt , the University of Florida and Temple University . Early life and education . Josh Cody was born and raised in Franklin , Tennessee , where he attended Battle Ground Academy . In 1914 , at the age of 22 , he enrolled at Vanderbilt University and played football for legendary coach Dan McGugin . At 6 foot , 4 inches , and 225 pounds , Cody played offensive and defensive tackle , but was versatile enough to play quarterback , running back and place - kicker at times . He was known as a sure tackler and fierce blocker who helped the Commodores score 1 , 099 points in thirty - five games ( 31 . 4 points per game ) . Vanderbilt was 23 – 9 – 1 in his four seasons , including 21 – 3 – 3 in his final three years . He was also a member of the basketball , baseball and track and field teams at Vanderbilt , earning thirteen varsity letter s in all . In Cody ' s freshman year , Vanderbilt finished with a 2 – 6 record , McGugin ' s first losing season and only the second losing season in the school ' s twenty - five years of playing football . In his second game , a 23 – 3 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor , Cody converted a 45 - yard drop kick field goal . In his fifth game , a 20 – 7 loss to Virginia , Cody threw a touchdown pass to Irby " Rabbit " Curry , the team ' s regular quarterback . Cody received his first All - America honor in 1914 from " Outing " magazine . In 1915 , Vanderbilt finished with a 9 – 1 record , and Cody earned his second All - America honor from Walter Camp . The Commodores outscored their opponents by an incredible 514 – 38 . Their only loss was a 35 – 10 setback to Virginia . In 1916 , Cody helped Vanderbilt to a 7 – 1 – 1 record , but was not recognize as an All - American . He served in the U . S . Army during World War I as a lieutenant in 1917 and 1918 , then returned to Vanderbilt for his senior year in 1919 . The Commodores finished 5 – 1 – 2 , and Cody was named an All - American for the third time , again by Walter Camp , to become the only Vanderbilt athlete to be named a three - time All - American . Coaching career . After he graduated in 1920 , he became the head football coach and athletic director at Mercer . In 1923 , he returned to Vanderbilt , where he became the head coach of the school ' s baseball and basketball teams . During that time , he also served as an assistant football coach to McGugin . Cody ' s 1926 – 1927 basketball team finished 20 – 4 — the best record in school history — and won the Southern Conference tournament championship . From 1927 to 1930 , he was the head coach of the Clemson basketball and football teams . During his tenure , he compiled a 29 – 11 – 1 record as football coach , including a prefect 3 – 0 record against archrival South Carolina and a near - perfect 13 – 0 – 1 at home . He was 48 – 55 as basketball coach . Cody was popular among the Clemson student body , who called him " Big Man " because of his large stature . In May 1929 , when rumors were swirling that he might leave to coach a bigger - name program , the students , faculty and staff took up a collection to buy him a brand new black Buick automobile . In 1931 , he returned to Vanderbilt as head coach of the basketball team and assistant football coach . In 1934 , when McGugin retired , Cody was passed over for the head coaching job in favor of former Vanderbilt quarterback and SMU coach Ray Morrison . Morrison brought his own staff from SMU , but Cody remained basketball coach through the 1935 – 1936 season . His Commodores basketball teams tallied 51 – 50 in five seasons . Disappointed at being passed over for the Commodores ' football head coaching job , Cody left Vanderbilt in 1936 and , with McGugin ' s help , became athletic director and head football coach at Florida , where he compiled a 17 – 24 – 2 record in four seasons from 1936 to 1939 . In 1940 , he left Florida and became the line coach under Ray Morrison at Temple . In 1942 , he was appointed the head coach of the Temple basketball team . In 1944 , he guided the Owls to their first NCAA Tournament berth , reaching the Elite Eight . He remained Temple ' s basketball coach until 1952 — compiling a record of 124 – 103 — and then became athletic director . In 1955 , after the sudden resignation of Albert Kawal , he served one year as Temple ' s head football coach , compiling an 0 – 8 record . In 1959 , at the age of 67 , he retired to his farm across the Delaware River in Moorestown , New Jersey . He died in Mount Laurel , New Jersey on June 17 , 1961 . Honors . In 1969 , Cody was named by the Football Writers Association to the 1869 – 1918 Early Era All - American Team . He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 .