Tommy Hudspeth, who served as BYU’s head football coach from 1964 to 1971, died Tuesday morning from complications of cancer. He was 83.
According to the University of Tulsa, where Hudspeth played college football and later coached, funeral services are pending. His daughter, Melissa McCurdy, said he passed away at 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Hudspeth led the Cougars to a 39-42-1 record during his eight years as head coach. That included leading BYU to its first conference championship in 1965, when the Cougars won the Western Athletic Conference title. He was named the WAC Coach of the Year that season.
During his tenure at BYU, the Cougars had four winning seasons, including an 8-2 mark in 1966, the school's best season in 34 years. Hudspeth was succeeded by BYU's all-time winningest coach LaVell Edwards, who served as an assistant coach under Hudspeth, including three years as defensive coordinator.
“I will be ever grateful for the opportunity I have had of working closely with Tommy Hudspeth. I have added a great deal to my own background through this experience, especially in the area of organization,” Edwards said in a news release following his hire as head coach in January 1972.
At the time he left BYU, Hudspeth was second to only Ott Romney (40 wins) in career victories at the school.
Former BYU quarterback Marc Lyons, who played under Hudspeth, described him as a "tough coach" but one whose charisma helped the Cougars recruit in an interview Tuesday with BYUtv's SportsNation.
"Man alive, he had a great sales pitch," Lyons said, noting that Hudspeth successfully brought in several Marines, including wide receiver Phil Odle, to help instill toughness in the Cougar program. "Very charismatic, put so much positive emphasis on everything that he talked about. In doing so, I think he was a great recruiter and got good players to go there. And that's what I think initially turned it around."
Hudspeth's coaching career took him to all levels of the sport. Prior to his time at BYU, he served as an assistant at a pair of Oklahoma high schools, Norman and Tulsa Central, before moving on to assistant positions with Tulsa and the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.
Following his career at BYU, he served as head coach at UTEP and the NFL's Detroit Lions, where he had an 11-13 record in two seasons (1976-77). He also coached with the World Football League's Chicago Fire and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts for one season each.
Hudspeth was a three-year starter at defensive back for the Golden Hurricanes and a captain his senior season. He was a part of Tulsa's 1952 team that went 8-2-1 and played in the Gator Bowl.
In 2006, he re-joined the Tulsa staff to assist in fundraising and development efforts.
"The University of Tulsa lost a man today who lived and breathed Golden Hurricane athletics for nearly his entire life," Tulsa Athletic Director Derrick Gragg said in the school's news release of Hudspeth's passing. "Anyone who had the pleasure to have known Tommy Hudspeth knows how dedicated he was to his family and to TU. Tommy always had a smile on his face and would help anyone in any way he could."
Utah State head coach Matt Wells, who was an assistant coach at Tulsa from 2002-06, also shared his condolences.
Under Hudspeth, BYU went 4-1 in WAC play in 1965 to earn the school's first league crown, including a 24-6 victory over Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona, and a 25-20 win over Utah in the Cougars' homecoming game. BYU's 42-8 triumph at New Mexico capped the WAC title.
Hudspeth helped build the foundation for the Cougar passing game that would churn out All-Americans and record-setters, many in the Edwards era. During the 8-2 campaign in 1966, quarterback Virgil Carter threw for 2,182 yards, third-best nationally, and 21 touchdowns, second in the country.
Last year, Hudspeth even stumped for his former team, now a college independent, to join one of the nation's premier conferences.
“BYU would be a great fit in the Big 12,” Hudspeth told the Tulsa World. “I think the only issue is the distance.
“However, in just about every other way, BYU would be a great fit with any group out there. It is a great football program and a great school with fans all over the world.”
McCurdy shared several photos of her father over the past few days. One McCurdy shared Monday included the phrase, "I love this man more than any other."
Email: bjudd@deseretdigital.com; Twitter: @brandonljudd