Thad Vann

Thad Vann
Biographical details
Born(1907-09-22)September 22, 1907
Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedSeptember 7, 1982(1982-09-07) (aged 74)
Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1926–1928Ole Miss
Position(s)Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1937–1948Mississippi Southern (assistant)
1949–1968Mississippi Southern / Southern Miss
Baseball
1948–1949Mississippi Southern
Head coaching record
Overall139–59–2 (football)
21–21 (baseball)
Bowls0–4
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 UPI small college (1958, 1962)
2 Gulf States (1950–1951)
Awards
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1971)
Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame (1987)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1987 (profile)

Thad "Pie" Vann (September 22, 1907 – September 7, 1982) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Southern Mississippi—known as Mississippi Southern College prior to 1962—from 1949 to 1968. During his tenure, he compiled a 139–59–2 record and helped transform Mississippi Southern into one of the nation's elite programs. His only losing season came in 1968, after 19 consecutive winning seasons. His 1953 team went 9–2, including a major upset against Alabama. His 1954 team went 6–4 and upset Alabama once again. He was also the head baseball coach at Mississippi Southern from 1948 to 1949, tallying a mark of 21–21. Van died on September 7, 1982, at Veterans Administration Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, following long illness.[1] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

  1. ^ "Former USM Coach Vann Dies". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, Mississippi. September 8, 1982. p. 6. Retrieved January 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.