TENN
Head coach · Tennessee · belt games 1955–1962
Bowden Wyatt
430Days with the belt
3Reigns started
12–3Defending it
3–2Challenging for it
Coached Tennessee (1955–1962) in seasons with a belt game. 20 belt games in all: 15 with the belt in hand, 5 trying to take it.
Bowden Wyatt was on a sideline for 20 belt games between 1955 and 1962, at Tennessee. He took the belt three times and held it for 430 days across three reigns, the 24th-most of any head coach in the belt’s history.
The first came on November 26, 1955, Tennessee 20–14 over Vanderbilt. The most lopsided was 16–0 over Maryland in 1957.
His longest reign ran 402 days with Tennessee, beginning November 26, 1955, and was defended ten times along the way.
Across his career he coached twelve successful defenses, and the belt changed hands under him three times, last when Ole Miss won 37–7 on November 14, 1959.
He also coached two games with the belt on the other sideline and came away without it. The closest was 19–6 to Ole Miss on November 17, 1962.
Reigns
Started under this coach
Every belt game
20 games, newest first
November 17, 1962 · Tennessee vs. Ole Miss 6–19 as challengerlostNovember 12, 1960 · Tennessee vs. Ole Miss 3–24 as challengerlostNovember 14, 1959 · Tennessee at Ole Miss 7–37 as holderlost the beltNovember 7, 1959 · Tennessee vs. LSU 14–13 as challengertook the beltNovember 16, 1957 · Tennessee at Ole Miss 7–14 as holderlost the beltNovember 9, 1957 · Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech 21–6 as holderdefendedNovember 2, 1957 · Tennessee at North Carolina 35–0 as holderdefendedOctober 26, 1957 · Tennessee at Maryland 16–0 as challengertook the beltJanuary 1, 1957 · Tennessee vs. Baylor 7–13 as holderlost the beltDecember 1, 1956 · Tennessee at Vanderbilt 27–7 as holderdefendedNovember 24, 1956 · Tennessee vs. Kentucky 20–7 as holderdefendedNovember 17, 1956 · Tennessee vs. Ole Miss 27–7 as holderdefendedNovember 10, 1956 · Tennessee at Georgia Tech 6–0 as holderdefendedNovember 3, 1956 · Tennessee vs. North Carolina 20–0 as holderdefendedOctober 27, 1956 · Tennessee vs. Maryland 34–7 as holderdefendedOctober 20, 1956 · Tennessee vs. Alabama 24–0 as holderdefendedOctober 13, 1956 · Tennessee vs. Chattanooga 42–20 as holderdefendedOctober 6, 1956 · Tennessee at Duke 33–20 as holderdefendedSeptember 29, 1956 · Tennessee at Auburn 35–7 as holderdefendedNovember 26, 1955 · Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt 20–14 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.