Fans of University of Alabama football are mourning the loss of former star player Hootie Ingram. It’s what he did off the field that may be his greatest accomplishment. As Athletic Director, Ingram hired coach Gene Stallings who led Alabama to the 1992 national championship. It was the Crimson Tide’s first college football title since the departure of legendary coach Bear Bryant. During his days as an Alabama player, Ingram was a defensive back who led the nation with ten interceptions when he was a sophomore in 1952. He later spent three years as head coach at Clemson before coming back to the Crimson Tide as Athletic Director.
"We will miss Hootie dearly," Alabama’s current athletic director Greg Byrne said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "He was such a wonderful man and always greeted you with a big smile. Hootie left a lasting impact on The University of Alabama as both a student-athlete and administrator. Our condolences go out to his family and friends."
Ingram, a Tuscaloosa native who also played halfback, played alongside quarterback Bart Starr and was also an All-SEC second baseman.
He signed with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles but left and began a coaching career at Tuscaloosa-area high schools. Ingram spent three seasons as head coach at Clemson, going 12-21 from 1970-72 after stints as an assistant at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Arkansas.
Ingram then went into administrative roles. He was associate commissioner of the SEC, where he worked from 1972-81. Ingram went on to become athletic director at Florida State (1981-89) before returning to run his alma mater's athletic department until his retirement in 1995.
