By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
The HBCU icon of the week is Jackson State’s W.C. Gordon, a quintessential husband, father, Christian man of God, educator and highly acclaimed and accomplished football coach. Born in Nashville. Tennessee on June 30, 1930, Coach Gordon took his heavenly flight on October 23, 2020. Between those years represented by the dash, he left an indelible legacy that surely stands the test of time. The WG’s first selection was John Merritt, a Kentucky native who matriculated to Jackson State, before being hired as the head coach at Tennessee State in Nashville. Ironically, Coach Gordon was born and raised in Nashville, attended Pearl High School, played baseball and football at TSU from 1948 – 1952, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Physical Education and made Jackson, Mississippi his home. After serving in the U.S. Army for 2 years and receiving an honorable discharge, he began his professional career as a teacher at Eva Gordon High School in Magnolia, Mississippi. He was subsequently offered an assistant coach’s position at Jackson State in 1966 prior to being named interim head coach after then current head coach Robert “Bob” Hill’s dismissal in 1976. In the same year, he was named head coach on a permanent basis. During his 15 year tenure as head coach, Coach Gordon compiled a 119-48-5 won/loss record. He was listed #145 in ESPN’s top 150 coaches, leading the Tigers to a Black College National Championship in 1985. In an article penned by Rick Cleveland of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Coach Gordon is quoted as saying about winning, ““Victory makes your coffee sweeter and your food taste so much better,” he said. “It makes your jazz sound smoother, the sun shine brighter. It makes your wife look more beautiful. It even makes you sleep better and dream sweeter. Victory makes all the difference in the world.”
Initially, I thought he might have coached under Big John Merritt; however, by the time he became an assistant at Jackson, Coach Merritt had already departed for Tennessee State. Collaborator and co-author Joe Redmond, who for 3 years was the head coach at Texas Southern University from 1981-84, a SWAC rival located in Houston, faced the JSU Tigers and Coach Gordon during those years, had nothing but respect and admiration for Coach Gordon:
“He was part of the three headed monster, joining Grambling’s Eddie Robinson and Alcorn’s Marino Casem. A hard nose coach, he was, as were others, always trying to beat the big two. He followed some outstanding coaches who had laid the Tiger’s defensive foundation. He gave you the respect as a Head Coach. Our games were as people termed “ Ass Achers – vicious and violent. He was the most underrated Coach in the SWAC.”
I’m always fascinated with our icons because the one constant other than consistent winning is their concern for and attention to their players’ academic success and moral development. Coach Gordon certainly fit the mold as he demanded that his players sit in front of class, especially when he was the teacher. Many non athletes made reference to that fact. In terms of record, he suffered only one below . 500 season, going 4-5-1 in 1984 when Alcorn and MVSC ruled the SWAC, even playing that epic battle in JSC’s home stadium. Nevertheless, he preceded to win the next 4 SWAC conference championships in succession. Considering the competition in the SWAC – opposing coaches like Archie Cooley, Marino Casem and Eddie Robinson and the on the field talent at the various schools, what he accomplished is even more impressive. With Coach Gordon at the helm, the Tigers won eight conference championships between 1980 and 1990.
He finished his storied career with a 119-48-5 overall record and was a six-time SWAC Coach of the Year. Gorden was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 1994 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. And 29 of his players were drafted in the NFL, including star running back Lewis Tillman and the great Jimmy Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Other NFL greats under his tutelage as an assistant or head coach: Robert Brazile, Walter Payton and Jackie Slater, all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Louis Bullard, Chris Burkett, Rich Castor, Jerome Barnum among others.
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