How many championships did the Maryland Terrapins win under Jim Tatum?
Maryland Terrapins football under Jim Tatum
From 1947 to 1955, Jim Tatum served as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football team, which represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football. Maryland hired Tatum to replace Clark Shaughnessy after the 1946 season. Tatum had created both success and controversy during his one season as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team. During his nine-year tenure, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in Maryland history, and the Terrapins compiled two national championships, three conference championships, and five bowl game appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season, and as of the end of 2016, he has the highest winning percentage of any Maryland football coach who coached at least seven games. In 1954, the University of Maryland appointed a new president, Dr. Wilson Elkins, who chose to de-emphasize football. Following the 1955 season, Tatum took a pay cut to coach at his alma mater, North Carolina, and he died four years later.
1959 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1959 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 1959 college football season. In their first season under head coach Tom Nugent, the Terrapins compiled a 5–5 record (4–2 in conference), finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and were outscored by their opponents 188 to 184. The team's statistical leaders included Dale Betty with 552 passing yards, Jim Joyce with 567 rushing yards, and Gary Collins with 350 receiving yards.