Vernon Glass
Encyclopedia
Vernon Glass was an American football
coach. He served as head coach at Lamar University
from 1963-75.
Glass was a standout quarterback
in Corpus Christi, Texas
, and played in the 1947 Oil Bowl
alongside Hayden Fry
. He choose to attend Rice University
, were he was a three-year letterwinner in both football and baseball
. He captained the 1950 football team and the 1951 baseball team. He keyed Rice's drive to the 1949 Southwest Conference crown, including a 17-15 win over Texas
in a showdown in Austin, Texas
. Rice also won the 1950 Cotton Bowl Classic against North Carolina State
.
Before joining the coaching profession, Glass spent two years in the United States Air Force
, lading Carswell Air Force Base
to the 1952 national service championship. He also played one year of professional baseball at Corpus Christi in 1953. Glass started his coaching career at Del Mar College, a junior college in Corpus Christi. After three seasons as assistant, he spent one year as head coach, guiding the Vikings to a 9-0 record before falling in the Junior Rose Bowl. Glass then left Del Mar to serve as an assistant coach under John Bridgers
at Baylor University
from 1960-62.
, guiding the Cardinals to 6–3–1 record and the Southland Conference
title in just his second year. Lamar was invited to the Pecan Bowl
, where they lost 19-17 to Northern Iowa
. Glass also helped Lamar win SLC titles in 1965 and 1966, which gave the Cardinals three straight conference championships. The other SLC title came in 1971. His best season at Lamar was in 1974 when the Cardinals posted an 8-2 record. He was named SLC Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1974. In addition, Glass was named NCAA College Division Coach of the Year in 1964 and 1965 and was recognized by the Texas Sports Writers Association at Junior College Coach of the Year in 1959.
In September 2009, Bart Simmons, a Lamar University
Alumnus, donated $200,000 to create the 'Coach Vernon Glass Field of Champions.'
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...
coach. He served as head coach at Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
from 1963-75.
Glass was a standout quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, and played in the 1947 Oil Bowl
Oil Bowl (high school)
The Oil Bowl is a high school football game played between All-Star teams from Texas and Oklahoma. The all star game began in 1938, originally between East and West Texas high school football all-stars. It was not until 1945 that the game began pitting Oklahoma against Texas...
alongside Hayden Fry
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University , North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas , and the University of Iowa , compiling a career college football record of 232–178–10...
. He choose to attend Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, were he was a three-year letterwinner in both football and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He captained the 1950 football team and the 1951 baseball team. He keyed Rice's drive to the 1949 Southwest Conference crown, including a 17-15 win over Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in a showdown in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Rice also won the 1950 Cotton Bowl Classic against North Carolina State
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
.
Before joining the coaching profession, Glass spent two years in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, lading Carswell Air Force Base
Carswell Air Force Base
Carswell Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located about northwest central of Fort Worth, Texas, United States; the air force base is mostly within the Fort Worth city limits and has portions within Westworth and White Settlement...
to the 1952 national service championship. He also played one year of professional baseball at Corpus Christi in 1953. Glass started his coaching career at Del Mar College, a junior college in Corpus Christi. After three seasons as assistant, he spent one year as head coach, guiding the Vikings to a 9-0 record before falling in the Junior Rose Bowl. Glass then left Del Mar to serve as an assistant coach under John Bridgers
John Bridgers
John D. Bridgers was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Johns Hopkins University from 1953 to 1956 and at Baylor University from 1959 to 1968, compiling a career college football record of 59–74–2...
at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
from 1960-62.
Lamar
In 1963 he became head coach at Lamar University in Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, guiding the Cardinals to 6–3–1 record and the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
title in just his second year. Lamar was invited to the Pecan Bowl
Pecan Bowl
Pecan Bowl, a postseason college football bowl game, was first played at Shotwell Stadium located in Abilene, Texas. The first game took place in December 1964, and was played there each year until 1968, when the location was moved to Arlington, Texas. One of four regional playoff bowls of the NCAA...
, where they lost 19-17 to Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
. Glass also helped Lamar win SLC titles in 1965 and 1966, which gave the Cardinals three straight conference championships. The other SLC title came in 1971. His best season at Lamar was in 1974 when the Cardinals posted an 8-2 record. He was named SLC Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1974. In addition, Glass was named NCAA College Division Coach of the Year in 1964 and 1965 and was recognized by the Texas Sports Writers Association at Junior College Coach of the Year in 1959.
In September 2009, Bart Simmons, a Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
Alumnus, donated $200,000 to create the 'Coach Vernon Glass Field of Champions.'