ALAB
Head coach · Alabama · belt games 1964–1978
Bear Bryant
751Days with the belt
3Reigns started
19–3Defending it
3–2Challenging for it
Coached Alabama (1963–1978) in seasons with a belt game. 27 belt games in all: 22 with the belt in hand, 5 trying to take it.
Bear Bryant was on a sideline for 27 belt games between 1964 and 1978, at Alabama. He took the belt three times and held it for 751 days across three reigns, the 11th-most of any head coach in the belt’s history.
The first came on January 1, 1964, Alabama 12–7 over Ole Miss. The most lopsided was 31–7 over Auburn in 1971.
His longest reign ran 366 days with Alabama, beginning January 1, 1964, and was defended ten times along the way.
Across his career he coached 19 successful defenses, and the belt changed hands under him three times, last when USC won 24–14 on September 23, 1978.
He also coached two games with the belt on the other sideline and came away without it. The closest was 24–23 to Notre Dame on December 31, 1973.
Reigns
Started under this coach
Every belt game
27 games, newest first
September 23, 1978 · Alabama vs. USC 14–24 as holderlost the beltSeptember 16, 1978 · Alabama at Missouri 38–20 as holderdefendedSeptember 2, 1978 · Alabama vs. Nebraska 20–3 as holderdefendedJanuary 2, 1978 · Alabama vs. Ohio State 35–6 as holderdefendedNovember 26, 1977 · Alabama vs. Auburn 48–21 as holderdefendedNovember 12, 1977 · Alabama vs. Miami 36–0 as holderdefendedNovember 5, 1977 · Alabama at LSU 24–3 as holderdefendedOctober 29, 1977 · Alabama at Mississippi State 37–7 as holderdefendedOctober 22, 1977 · Alabama vs. Louisville 55–6 as holderdefendedOctober 15, 1977 · Alabama vs. Tennessee 24–10 as holderdefendedOctober 8, 1977 · Alabama at USC 21–20 as challengertook the beltDecember 31, 1973 · Alabama vs. Notre Dame 23–24 as challengerlostJanuary 1, 1972 · Alabama vs. Nebraska 6–38 as holderlost the beltNovember 27, 1971 · Alabama vs. Auburn 31–7 as challengertook the beltSeptember 12, 1970 · Alabama vs. USC 21–42 as challengerlostJanuary 1, 1965 · Alabama vs. Texas 17–21 as holderlost the beltNovember 26, 1964 · Alabama vs. Auburn 21–14 as holderdefendedNovember 14, 1964 · Alabama at Georgia Tech 24–7 as holderdefendedNovember 7, 1964 · Alabama vs. LSU 17–9 as holderdefendedOctober 31, 1964 · Alabama at Mississippi State 23–6 as holderdefendedOctober 24, 1964 · Alabama vs. Florida 17–14 as holderdefendedOctober 17, 1964 · Alabama at Tennessee 19–8 as holderdefendedOctober 10, 1964 · Alabama vs. NC State 21–0 as holderdefendedOctober 3, 1964 · Alabama vs. Vanderbilt 24–0 as holderdefendedSeptember 26, 1964 · Alabama vs. Tulane 36–6 as holderdefendedSeptember 19, 1964 · Alabama vs. Georgia 31–3 as holderdefendedJanuary 1, 1964 · Alabama vs. Ole Miss 12–7 as challengertook the belt
Head coaches from the College Football Data API’s coaching records, matched by team and season. A reign counts for the coach in charge the season it began; a mid-season change isn’t split.