Charles Byron Pell (February 17, 1941 – May 29, 2001) was an American college

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player and coach. Pell was an

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

native and an

alumnus Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

of the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

, where he played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

. He is most notably remembered as the

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

of the

Clemson University Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...

and the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

football teams. Pell was credited with laying the foundation for the later success of both programs, but his coaching career was tainted by

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) rules violations.

Early life and education

Pell was born in Albertville, Alabama, in 1941.Frank Litsky,
Charley Pell Is Dead at 60; Ousted as Florida Coach
, ''The New York Times'' (May 31, 2001). Retrieved March 4, 2010. Neither of his parents had completed any education beyond the fifth grade. He did not play football until his senior year of

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

.Bruce Lowitt,
Coaching at all costs
, ''St. Petersburg Times'' (May 30, 2001). Retrieved March 4, 2010. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Alabama, having been recruited to play football for the Crimson Tide by coach

Bear Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...

. Pell was undersized at 187 pounds, but he became an all-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

and

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

. Pell played for Bryant's Crimson Tide from

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

, including Bryant's first national championship team in 1961.

Coaching career

After graduating from the University of Alabama, Pell lived in Tuscaloosa, serving as a

graduate assistant A graduate assistant serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The assistant typically helps professors with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants or with academic research resp ...

under Bear Bryant in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

. Charlie Bradshaw, the

Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football program represents the University of Kentucky in the sport of American football. The Kentucky Wildcats, Wildcats compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...

head coach, as well as a former Alabama assistant, offered Pell a position as the defensive line coach at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

. While coaching at Kentucky, Pell met his future wife, Ward Noel.

Jacksonville State

Pell earned his first head coaching job at age 28 when he was hired by

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, mas ...

in 1969. He coached the Gamecocks to four consecutive winning seasons, including a 10–0 record and a

Gulf South Conference The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States. History Originally known as the ...

championship in 1970. His overall record as head coach was 33–13–1. In 1974, Pell left NAIA Jacksonville State to become defensive coordinator for Division I Virginia Tech Hokies. He stayed for just two seasons.

Clemson

After taking the defensive coordinator position for the

Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football program are the American football team at Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of the Atlantic Coast Con ...

team in 1976, he was elevated to head coach in 1977 when Red Parker was fired. In his first year, he led the Tigers to the 1977 Gator Bowl—their first bowl invitation in 18 years. A year later, his Tigers won their first

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

(ACC) championship in 11 years, and were ranked seventh in the final AP Poll—the highest final ranking in school history at the time. Pell was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1978, and compiled an 18–4–1 record. Pell left Clemson after the 1978 regular season to become head coach at the University of Florida. He was succeeded at Clemson by assistant coach Danny Ford, who led the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. In 1982, it emerged that Pell and his staff had committed major NCAA infractions in player recruiting, for which the NCAA placed the Clemson football program on two years' probation. The Tigers were allowed to keep their 1978 ACC title.

Florida

Pell coached the

Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American football, American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the ...

team from

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, posting a 33–26–3 record.''2012 Florida Football Media Guide''
, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 111–112, 116 (2012). Retrieved September 16, 2012. The 1979 Gators suffered an 0–10–1 record—still the worst in school history. However, Pell's Gators quickly improved, with winning records and bowl invitations during the next four years. The Gators' improvement from 0–10–1 in 1979 to 8–4 in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

was the largest one-year turnaround in major college football history at the time. His 1983 Gators finished 9–2–1 and were ranked sixth in the final Associated Press football poll—the Gators' first-ever top-ten finish, and the highest final ranking in school history at the time.

NCAA investigation and resignation

After the 1982 season, the

(NCAA) began an investigation into possible rules violations by Pell and his staff at Florida. Pell took full responsibility for the violations in August 1984 and announced he would resign at the end of the season. However, on September 16, only three games into the season, the NCAA announced that Florida was alleged to have committed 107 infractions—including spying on other teams' practices, payments and gifts to players, and allowing walk-ons to stay in the athletic dorm. That night, university president Marshall Criser fired Pell and named his offensive coordinator, Galen Hall, as interim coach.Jack Hairston,
UF axes Pell as football coach
, ''Gainesville Sun'', pp. 1A & 8A (September 17, 1984). Retrieved March 4, 2010. ''See also'' Jack McCallum,

, ''Sports Illustrated'' (November 19, 1984). Retrieved March 20, 2010. Hall and the 1984 Gators won Florida's first-ever

(SEC) football championship, but the SEC refused to allow the Gators to play in the Sugar Bowl; LSU went in their place. In January 1985, after it was ultimately determined that Pell and the Gators coaching staff had actually committed 59 infractions, the NCAA placed Florida on two years' probation and banned the Gators from bowl games and live television in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

and 1986. The NCAA also reduced the Gators' football scholarships by 20 over three years. To the shock and dismay of the team and fans, the SEC university presidents voted to retroactively vacate the Gators' 1984 SEC championship in the spring of 1985. The loss of scholarships proved to be the most crippling sanction in the long-term; with a depleted roster, the Gators did not win more than seven games from 1986 to

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

. During his time at the University of Florida, Pell led the fund-raising efforts to make several major facility improvements at Florida Field, including the construction of a world-class training facility (the Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Athletic Training Center), a major expansion of the south end zone seating and the construction of the first luxury skyboxes. Pell is credited by many with rebuilding Florida's football program and rehabilitating the finances of the school's athletic department. At the same time, he was condemned for committing NCAA violations whose repercussions hobbled the program for the rest of the decade.

Later life

After being fired by Florida, Pell was unable to secure another coaching job, a frustration that was a factor in a suicide attempt in 1994.Keith Dunnavant,
Out of Darkness
", ''Crimson Replay'' (1995). Retrieved March 24, 2010. Pell was treated for

clinical depression Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...

and became a spokesman for depression awareness. He coached one season of high school football at the newly built Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake, Florida, but his new players were undersized and inexperienced, and the team finished 1–9. He worked as a real estate broker and auctioneer for several years before dying of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

in 2001.Pat Dooley,
Pell succumbs to cancer: Winning was Pell's obsession
, ''The Gainesville Sun'', pp. 1C & 6C (May 30, 2001). Retrieved June 18, 2011. Pell was married to the former Ward Noel. Pell was survived by his wife, their three children, and two grandchildren. In May 2012, Pell was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Inductees
Charley Pell
Retrieved July 12, 2014.

Head coaching record

*Pell left for Florida after the 1978 regular season. Assistant coach Danny Ford coached the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. Clemson credits the regular season to Pell and the Gator Bowl to Ford.
** Pell was fired three games into the 1984 season. Assistant coach Galen Hall finished the season. Florida credits the first three games of the season to Pell and the final eight to Hall.

References

Bibliography

*
2012 Florida Football Media Guide
', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2012). * Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). . * Golenbock, Peter, ''Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory'', Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). . * Hairston, Jack, ''Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told'', Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). . * McCarthy, Kevin M.
''Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football''
Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). . * Nash, Noel, ed., ''The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football'', Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). . * Nissenson, Herschel, ''Tales From College Football's Sidelines'', Sports Publishing, New York (2001). * Pleasants, Julian M., ''Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida'', University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (2006). . * Proctor, Samuel, & Wright Langley, ''Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida'', South Star Publishing Company, Gainesville, Florida (1986). . * Yaeger, Don, ''Undue Process: The NCAA's Injustice for All'', Sports Publishing, New York (1991). {{DEFAULTSORT:Pell, Charley 1941 births 2001 deaths American football defensive tackles American football offensive guards Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches Alabama Crimson Tide football players Clemson Tigers football coaches Florida Gators football coaches Jacksonville State Gamecocks athletic directors Jacksonville State Gamecocks football coaches People from Albertville, Alabama Coaches of American football from Alabama Players of American football from Alabama Deaths from lung cancer in Alabama