Don Hudson
Encyclopedia
Donald Edward Hudson is a former American football
player and coach in the United States
. He served as the head football coach at Macalester College
from 1972 to 1975 and at Lincoln University of Missouri from 1976 to 1979, compiling a career college football
record of 9–72–2. When he was hired at Macalester, Hudson became first African American head football coach at a predominantly white college.
He became the head coach in December 1971 when his predecessor, Dick Borstad, resigned. Macalester College barely publicized the milestone. As a result other universities, like Portland State and Oberlin College, later were reported to have hired the first African American college football coach. Don Hudson was most recently recognized for his breakthrough at half time of a Macalester game in October 2007. He was a quarterback for Lincoln University of Missouri and an assistant coach there through the fifties and sixties. He was soon offered a head coaching job at Minneapolis Central High School where he was the first African American coach in that school’s league. He then took a coaching and teaching job at predominantly white Macalester College in 1971. He went 3–36 in his first four seasons as head coach of Macalester. He eventually moved on from Macalester after a losing effort, but he was able to break through the racial barrier in college football. He was a pioneer and paved the way for future African American coaches in modern college football.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served as the head football coach at Macalester College
Macalester College
Macalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
from 1972 to 1975 and at Lincoln University of Missouri from 1976 to 1979, compiling a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 9–72–2. When he was hired at Macalester, Hudson became first African American head football coach at a predominantly white college.
He became the head coach in December 1971 when his predecessor, Dick Borstad, resigned. Macalester College barely publicized the milestone. As a result other universities, like Portland State and Oberlin College, later were reported to have hired the first African American college football coach. Don Hudson was most recently recognized for his breakthrough at half time of a Macalester game in October 2007. He was a quarterback for Lincoln University of Missouri and an assistant coach there through the fifties and sixties. He was soon offered a head coaching job at Minneapolis Central High School where he was the first African American coach in that school’s league. He then took a coaching and teaching job at predominantly white Macalester College in 1971. He went 3–36 in his first four seasons as head coach of Macalester. He eventually moved on from Macalester after a losing effort, but he was able to break through the racial barrier in college football. He was a pioneer and paved the way for future African American coaches in modern college football.
Further reading
- Weiner, Jay.Macalester's Hudson: The First, but Forgotten Until Now. ESPN, 2/13/2008.
- Blount, Rachel. Macalester's Don Hudson: An Overdue Honor.Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN, 10/4/2007.