Former Head Football Coach h Harold "Bud" Elliott Passes Away at the Age of 73
POR PORTALES, N..M. - Former Eastern New Mexico University head football coach Harold "Bud" Elliott passed away on Monday, Oct. 31, 2005, while hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas. He was 73 years old.
Elliott was Eastern's head coach for 11 seasons, from 1994 through 2004. He retired from ENMU at the end of the 2004 season. He was Eastern's all-time winningest coach in football with an overall record of 68-49-2 (.580). He guided the Greyhounds to Lone Star Conference South Division co-championships in 1999 and 2000. His players recorded nine winning seasons, including seven in a row to conclude his career. He led the team to an 8-3 record three times, in 1998, 1999 and 2002. Six of his teams at ENMU were nationally ranked at some point during the season.
In 37 years as a collegiate head coach, Elliott achieved an overall record of 205-179-9 (.533). He became the 46th head coach in NCAA college football history to reach 200 wins. At the time of his retirement he ranked third in victories among active NCAA Division II coaches.
A memorial service has been scheduled in his honor for Monday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. (MST) in the Campus Union Ballroom on the ENMU campus. The public is invited to attend.
Prior to arriving at ENMU in 1994, Elliott was the head coach at Northwest Missouri State
University from 1988 through 1993. He led Northwest Missouri to a 9-2 record and the NCAA Playoffs in 1989.
Elliott coached at the University of Texas at Arlington, an NCAA Division I member, from 1974 until 1983. He earned Southland Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in 1981 after coaching UTA to the Southland Conference championship. In 1979, he received the Dallas Sports Association Award of Merit and was the runner-up in voting for the Texas Sports Writers' Coach of the Year Award.
Early in his career, Elliott was the head coach at Southwestern College, Washburn University and Emporia State University, all in Kansas. He coached teams to eight conference titles, with three at Southwestern, two at ENMU, two at Emporia State and one at UT-Arlington.
At Southwestern (1964-68), he earned a 37-7-3 (.819) record and won Kansas College
Athletic Conference (KCAC) titles in 1964, 1967 and 1968. He coached at Washburn in 1969 and 1970, earning a 10-8-2 (.550) record, and was head coach at Emporia State from 1971 through 1973. After a rebuilding year, he led ESU to Great Great Plains Athletic Conference titles in 1972 (7-4) and 1973 (7-2).
He was chosen by his peers as the Great Plains Coach-of-the-Year each of his last two seasons at Emporia State (1972-73). He was named NAIA Area III Coach-of-the-Year in 1968 at Southwestern and in 1972 at ESU. He was chosen NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year in 1964, 1967, 1968 and 1972.
His career as a collegiate head coach spanned all or part of five decades. At Southwestern College, his 1967 team was undefeated at 9-0-1, and his 1964 squad lost only one game to finish 8-1. He led UT-Arlington to a 9-2 record in 1979 and was 9-3 at NW Missouri State in 1989.
He began his career with 11 years as a high school head coach in Kansas. He coached at Turon High School (1953-55), Geneseo High School (1955-58), Mulvane High School (1958-60) and Kansas City Turner High School (1960-64), and then moved to the collegiate level.
Elliott was inducted into athletic halls of fame at Baker, Southwestern and ENMU. He published articles on football and was active in the American Football Coaches Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was the keynote speaker at four national FCA meetings.
His coaching philosophy stressed success in the classroom and on the field. He was very proud of the academic accomplishments of his players. In 2004, five players received ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors and Ty Touchstone was a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for the second year in a row. Touchstone also was selected as the College Division Football Academic All-America of the Year. A total of 54 players were named to the ENMU Athletic Honor Roll during the Fall 2004 semester.
Elliott received a bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Baker University (Kan.) in 1953, and earned a master's in School Administration from Wichita State University in 1963. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and by five grown children.
Robert McKinney
Sports Information Director
Eastern New Mexico University
Phone: (505) 562-4309
Elliott was Eastern's head coach for 11 seasons, from 1994 through 2004. He retired from ENMU at the end of the 2004 season. He was Eastern's all-time winningest coach in football with an overall record of 68-49-2 (.580). He guided the Greyhounds to Lone Star Conference South Division co-championships in 1999 and 2000. His players recorded nine winning seasons, including seven in a row to conclude his career. He led the team to an 8-3 record three times, in 1998, 1999 and 2002. Six of his teams at ENMU were nationally ranked at some point during the season.
In 37 years as a collegiate head coach, Elliott achieved an overall record of 205-179-9 (.533). He became the 46th head coach in NCAA college football history to reach 200 wins. At the time of his retirement he ranked third in victories among active NCAA Division II coaches.
A memorial service has been scheduled in his honor for Monday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. (MST) in the Campus Union Ballroom on the ENMU campus. The public is invited to attend.
Prior to arriving at ENMU in 1994, Elliott was the head coach at Northwest Missouri State
University from 1988 through 1993. He led Northwest Missouri to a 9-2 record and the NCAA Playoffs in 1989.
Elliott coached at the University of Texas at Arlington, an NCAA Division I member, from 1974 until 1983. He earned Southland Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in 1981 after coaching UTA to the Southland Conference championship. In 1979, he received the Dallas Sports Association Award of Merit and was the runner-up in voting for the Texas Sports Writers' Coach of the Year Award.
Early in his career, Elliott was the head coach at Southwestern College, Washburn University and Emporia State University, all in Kansas. He coached teams to eight conference titles, with three at Southwestern, two at ENMU, two at Emporia State and one at UT-Arlington.
At Southwestern (1964-68), he earned a 37-7-3 (.819) record and won Kansas College
Athletic Conference (KCAC) titles in 1964, 1967 and 1968. He coached at Washburn in 1969 and 1970, earning a 10-8-2 (.550) record, and was head coach at Emporia State from 1971 through 1973. After a rebuilding year, he led ESU to Great Great Plains Athletic Conference titles in 1972 (7-4) and 1973 (7-2).
He was chosen by his peers as the Great Plains Coach-of-the-Year each of his last two seasons at Emporia State (1972-73). He was named NAIA Area III Coach-of-the-Year in 1968 at Southwestern and in 1972 at ESU. He was chosen NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year in 1964, 1967, 1968 and 1972.
His career as a collegiate head coach spanned all or part of five decades. At Southwestern College, his 1967 team was undefeated at 9-0-1, and his 1964 squad lost only one game to finish 8-1. He led UT-Arlington to a 9-2 record in 1979 and was 9-3 at NW Missouri State in 1989.
He began his career with 11 years as a high school head coach in Kansas. He coached at Turon High School (1953-55), Geneseo High School (1955-58), Mulvane High School (1958-60) and Kansas City Turner High School (1960-64), and then moved to the collegiate level.
Elliott was inducted into athletic halls of fame at Baker, Southwestern and ENMU. He published articles on football and was active in the American Football Coaches Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was the keynote speaker at four national FCA meetings.
His coaching philosophy stressed success in the classroom and on the field. He was very proud of the academic accomplishments of his players. In 2004, five players received ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors and Ty Touchstone was a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for the second year in a row. Touchstone also was selected as the College Division Football Academic All-America of the Year. A total of 54 players were named to the ENMU Athletic Honor Roll during the Fall 2004 semester.
Elliott received a bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Baker University (Kan.) in 1953, and earned a master's in School Administration from Wichita State University in 1963. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and by five grown children.
Robert McKinney
Sports Information Director
Eastern New Mexico University
Phone: (505) 562-4309
posted by Don @ 11/01/2005 06:48:00 PM
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