death_date coach_team birth_date death_place player_positions player_years cfbdwid bowl_record admin_years image name caption cfbhof_year birth_place awards sport cfbhof_id admin_team championships coach_years overall_record article_title player_team
26 january 1983 union assistant -rrb- vanderbilt -lrb- assistant -rrb- georgia pre-flight -lrb- assistant -lrb- -rrb- north carolina pre-flight -lrb- assistant -rrb- maryland kentucky texas tn a & m alabama -rrb- -lrb- assistant -rrb- alabama -lrb- 11 september 1913 tuscaloosa , alabama end 1933 -- 1935 275 15 -- 12 -- 2 1954 -- 1957 1957 -- 1983 bear bryant.jpg bear bryant bryant with his trademark houndstooth hat 1986 moro bottom , arkansas 3x 1971 , 1973 -rrb- 12x sec coach of the year afca -lrb- 1950 , 1959 , 1961 , 1964 -- 1965 coach , 1971 , 1973 -- 1974 , 1977 -- 1979 of , 1981 -rrb- the year -lrb- 1961 , football 70009 texas a & m alabama 6 1973 , 1978 -- 1979 -rrb- 1 swc -lrb- 1956 national -rrb- 14 sec -lrb- 1950 , 1961 , 1964 -- -lrb- 1966 , 1971 -- 1975 , 1977 -- 1979 , 1961 1981 -rrb- , 1964 -- 1965 , 1936 1945 1946 -- 1953 1954 -- 1957 1958 -- 1982 1936 -- 1940 1940 -- 1941 1942 1944 323 -- 85 -- 17 bear bryant
 alabama
bear bryant

paul william `` bear '' bryant -lrb- september 11 , 1913 -- january 26 , 1983 -rrb- was an american college football player and coach .
he was best known as the longtime head coach of the university of alabama football team .
during his 25-year tenure as alabama 's head coach , he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships .
upon his retirement in 1982 , he held the record for most wins as head coach in collegiate football history with 323 wins .
at the university of alabama , the paul w. bryant museum , paul w. bryant hall , paul w. bryant drive , and bryant -- denny stadium are all named in his honor .
he was also known for his trademark black and white houndstooth or gingham hat , deep voice , casually leaning up against the goal post during pre-game warmups , and frequently holding his rolled-up game plan while on the sidelines .
before arriving at alabama , bryant was head football coach at the university of maryland , the university of kentucky , and texas a&m university .
of the schools he coached , maryland is the only one not currently a member of the southeastern conference .
