Legendary HBCU Football Coach Doug Porter Passes, Archie Manning Comments On His Life
NEW ORLEANS - The HBCU sports community is deeply saddened by the loss of former football coach Doug Porter, who passed away at 95 in Grambling, LA, on Wednesday, June 4. He was born on Aug. 15, 1928, in Memphis, Tennessee.
At the time of his death, Porter was the College Football Hall of Fame's eldest living member, a testament to his enduring legacy and the profound impact on HBCU sports.
"Doug Porter was a remarkable person, crafting an impressive career in coaching and athletics administration among the HBCU ranks," National Football Foundation chairman Archie Manning said. "A great football mind, he was a top-flight recruiter who cared deeply about his players and put them in a position to succeed."
PORTER'S COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER
Porter's collegiate career started in the late 1940s as the quarterback of the Xavier University Gold Rush football team. He later joined the Gold Rush as an assistant football coach from 1955-59.
Porter's head coaching experience spanned from Mississippi Valley (1961-65), Howard (1974-78), and Fort Valley State (1979-85, 1987-96). His coaching career record was 155-110-5 (.574) in 27 seasons leading HBCU football programs.
The funeral service for Doug Porter will be held at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Grambling, Louisiana, on June 15.
DOUG PORTER'S CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- College Football Hall of Fame Inductee in 2008
- Fort Valley State Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee in 2009
- Fort Valley State teams were 19-1-1 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games from 1980-83, and his 1982 team qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs
- While at Fort Valley State, he won the SIAC Football Championships in 1982, 1983, 1991, and 1992
- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Coach of the Year in 1974 after leading Howard in his first season to an 8-2-1 record, a tie for second in the MEAC, and a berth in the postseason Orange Blossom Classic
- Fort Valley State's athletic director for 16 years from 1981-97.
- Assistant football coach under Eddie Robinson at Grambling from 1966-73
- Chairman of the Division II Football Committee
- President of the National Athletic Steering Committee