Alfred Nash Higgins (February 29, 1896 – October 29, 1984) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

and

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

coach as well as

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches a ...

, the first in the history of the

University of Tampa The University of Tampa (UTampa, UT or Tampa U) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UTampa offers more than 200 programs of study, including 19 master's degrees and a br ...

. He later worked as superintendent of recreation for the Hillsborough County Defense Council and the county's school department athletic facilities planner.

Early years

Higgins attended Wabash College.

Coaching career

Earlham

Higgins was an assistant under coach Ray B. Mowe at Earlham College.

Wabash

Higgins coached track and field at his alma mater. The 1923 track team tied for 11th place in the NCAA meet at

Stagg Field Amos Alonzo Stagg Field is the name of two successive football fields for the University of Chicago. Beyond sports, the first Stagg Field (1893–1957), named for famed coach, Alonzo Stagg, is remembered for its role in a landmark scientific ac ...

Hillsborough High

Higgins coached at Hillsborough High School in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

in 1926, leading his team to the state championship. On the team were Jimmy Steele and Carlos Proctor. Proctor gave rival St. Petersburg High School its only loss with a field goal.

Florida

Higgins came to 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 ...

after coaching football at Hillsborough. He was an assistant football coach, holding the title of chief football scout, and head track coach under Charlie Bachman for the Florida Gators. The

1928 Florida Gators football team Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Di ...

led the nation in scoring. He was expected to follow Bachman as head coach, already recommended by the committee on athletics, when 26-year old Dutch Stanley was hired.

Tampa

After his time with the Gators, he was the first head coach and athletic director at the

. In a March 27, 1933 letter, offering the position of athletic director to Higgins, university president Frederic Spaulding wrote: "We particularly want anyone who accepts a position with us to feel enthusiastic about the school, and freely and wholeheartedly devote himself to its growth and improvement. We want men who are willing to give their best service unstintingly, and feel they are making an investment for the future." Higgins picked the school's colors of red, black, and gold; combining those of Hillsborough High (red and black) with Plant High School (gold and black). His assistant while at Tampa was former fellow Gator assistant Alvin Pierson. Tampa still holds the Nash Higgins Relays named in his honor. He was inducted into the Tampa Athletics Hall of Fame in 1962; and the NAIA Football Hall of Fame in 1959.

Head coaching record

College football

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Nash 1896 births 1984 deaths Earlham Quakers football coaches Florida Gators football coaches Florida Gators track and field coaches Tampa Spartans athletic directors Tampa Spartans football coaches High school football coaches in Florida High school football coaches in Illinois Wabash College alumni Sportspeople from Joliet, Illinois Sportspeople from Tampa, Florida