Don Lear

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Don Lear
File:Don Lear, 1955.png
Lear in 1955
Biographical details
Born(1935-03-01)March 1, 1935
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 2018(2018-12-14) (aged 83)
Cordova, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1957)
Eastern Kentucky University
Playing career
Football
1953–1956North Carolina
PositionFullback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1957North Carolina (assistant)
1958Eastern Kentucky (assistant)
1959Eastern Kentucky (ends)
1960 (spring)Eastern Kentucky (assistant backfield)
1960Columbia Military Academy (TN) (assistant)
1961–1963Middle Tennessee (OB/DB)
1964Middle Tennessee (C/ends/LB)
1965–1968Middle Tennessee (OB)
1969 (spring)Southwestern (TN) (line)
1969–1975Southwestern (TN)
1976–1987Memphis Catholic HS (TN)
1988–1997Saint Benedict HS (TN)
Wrestling
1960–1961Columbia Military Academy (TN)
1969–?Southwestern (TN)
1976–?Memphis Catholic HS (TN) (assistant)
Track and field
1958–1960Eastern Kentucky (assistant)
1969–?Southwestern (TN)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
?–1988Memphis Catholic HS (TN)
Head coaching record
Overall30–23–5 (college football)
132–95 (high school football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 CAC (1970–1971, 1973)
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Don Lear Sr. (March 1, 1935 – December 14, 2018) was an American college football coach. He was the head football coach for Southwestern at Memphis—now known as Rhodes College—from 1969 to 1975, Memphis Catholic High School from 1976 to 1987, and Saint Benedict at Auburndale High School from 1988 to 1997.

Playing career

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Lear was born on March 1, 1935 in Philadelphia. He played high school football for Hatboro High School as a fullback.[1] He also participated in basketball, baseball, and track and field; earning 14 total letters in all four sports combined.[2]

In 1953, Lear enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, beginning his college football career as a fullback for the school's freshmen team.[3] In his sophomore season, he did not start but regularly played in a reserve capacity, even scoring two touchdowns against Wake Forest.[4] He briefly moved to guard during spring practices in 1956,[5] but ultimately remained as a fullback.

Coaching career

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Lear began his coaching career as North Carolina upon graduating as an assistant. After one season, he was named as a part-time assistant for Eastern Kentucky while he pursued his master's degree.[6] He also assisted with the school's track and field team.[2] In 1959, he was named as a full-time assistant as the football team's ends coach.[7] He spent the spring of 1960 as an assistant backfield coach for Eastern Kentucky.[2]

Lear spent the 1960 season as an assistant for Columbia Military Academy before becoming the defensive backs coach for Middle Tennessee.[8] He spent the 1964 season as the team's centers, ends, and linebackers coach then transitioned to offensive backs coach in 1965.[9]

In 1969, Lear joined Southwestern at Memphis—now known as Rhodes College—as the school's head wrestling and track and field coach while also assisting with the football team.[10][11] In June 1969, a month after joining the football team, Lear was promoted to head football coach after Jesse Johnson resigned to enter private business.[12][13] Lear was the head football coach for seven seasons and amassed an overall record of 30–23–3 and won conference championships in 1970, 1971, and 1973. He resigned after the 1975 season.

In 1976, Lear was hired as the head football coach for Memphis Catholic High School.[14] In 1988, he moved to Saint Benedict at Auburndale High School. He retired from coaching after the 1997 season having amassed an overall high school coaching record of 132–95.[15]

Personal life

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Lear died on December 14, 2018 in Cordova, Tennessee.[16]

Head coaching record

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College football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Southwestern Lynx (College Athletic Conference) (1969–1975)
1969 Southwestern 3–6 2–2 T–2nd
1970 Southwestern 7–1 3–1 T–1st
1971 Southwestern 5–2 3–1 T–1st
1972 Southwestern 4–4 1–3 T–3rd
1973 Southwestern 4–3–2 2–0 1st
1974 Southwestern 3–3–3 2–1–1 2nd
1975 Southwestern 4–4 2–2 T–3rd
Southwestern: 30–23–5 15–10–1
Total: 30–23–5
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

[17]

High school football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Memphis Catholic Chargers () (1976–1987)
1976 Memphis Catholic 4–6 4–6 23rd
1977 Memphis Catholic 7–3 3–3 T–3rd
1978 Memphis Catholic 6–4 2–4 T–6th
1979 Memphis Catholic 5–4 1–4 6th
1980 Memphis Catholic 2–5 1–4 6th
1981 Memphis Catholic 9–2 8–1 2nd
1982 Memphis Catholic 13–0 8–0 1st
1983 Memphis Catholic 7–4 2–3 T–3rd
1984 Memphis Catholic 5–4 2–3 T–3rd
1985 Memphis Catholic 4–6 2–3 T–3rd
1986 Memphis Catholic 5–5 4–1 2nd
1987 Memphis Catholic 5–5 2–4 T–4th
Memphis Catholic: 73–48 39–36
Saint Benedict Eagles () (1988–1997)
1988 Saint Benedict 1–8 0–5 6th
1989 Saint Benedict 0–9 0–5 6th
1990 Saint Benedict 1–8 1–4 5th
1991 Saint Benedict 6–3 4–1 T–1st
1992 Saint Benedict 8–3 3–1 2nd
1993 Saint Benedict 11–1 6–0 1st
1994 Saint Benedict 6–5 4–2 3rd
1995 Saint Benedict 9–2 5–1 2nd
1996 Saint Benedict 12–2 5–1 T–1st
1997 Saint Benedict 5–6 3–1 2nd
Saint Benedict: 59–47 31–21
Total: 132–95
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

[18]

References

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