Allyn McKeen

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1905–1978)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Allyn McKeen

| image = Allyn McKeen.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|1|26}}

| birth_place = Fulton, Kentucky, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1978|9|13|1905|1|26}}

| death_place = Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1925–1927

| player_team1 = Tennessee

| player_positions = Guard, end

| coach_years1 = 1929–1934

| coach_team1 = West Tennessee State Teachers (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1937–1938

| coach_team2 = West Tennessee State Teachers

| coach_years3 = 1939–1948

| coach_team3 = Mississippi State

| overall_record = 78–25–3

| bowl_record = 1–0

| tournament_record =

| championships = 1 SIAA (1938)
1 SEC (1941)

| awards = SEC Coach of the Year (1940)

| coaching_records =

| CFBHOF_year = 1991

| CFBHOF_id = 1624

}}

Allyn McKeen (January 26, 1905 – September 13, 1978) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at West Tennessee State Normal School—now known as the University of Memphis—from 1937 to 1938 and Mississippi State College—now known as Mississippi State University—from 1939 to 1948, compiling a career head coaching record of 78–25–3. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1991.

Playing career

McKeen played football as a guard and end at the University of Tennessee from 1925 to 1927, where he earned all-state honors. He was also the captain of the men's basketball and track teams. He helped preserve the tie with Vanderbilt by covering Bill Spears's receivers.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1787&dat=19271115&id=UrUeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5950,58298|title=Backfielders In South Get Real Mention|date=November 15, 1927|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}

Coaching career

From 1937 to 1938, McKeen coached at West Tennessee State Teachers College, now known as the University of Memphis, where he compiled a 13–6 record. His 1938 team went undefeated at 10–0. From 1939 to 1948, he coached at Mississippi State, where he compiled a 65–19–3 record. In 1940, he was named the SEC Coach of the Year after leading Mississippi State to its only undefeated season in school history. The following year, his squad captured the first and only Southeastern Conference championship in program history. He retired from coaching in 1948 after rendering his resignation to Mississippi State's athletic director, Dudy Noble.{{cite book |last=Nemeth |first=Mike |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xuBxPgAACAAJ |title=Mississippi State Football Vault (College Vault) |publisher=Whitman Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=9780794828073}} His .747 coaching record at Mississippi State rivals some of the winningest coaches in the SEC, such as Bear Bryant, Bob Neyland, Johnny Vaught, and Vince Dooley. However, McKeen only coached in Starkville for nine years, while the other leaders on the SEC's wins list coached for more than 15 years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com/2012/8/6/3220016/allyn-mckeen-could-have-been-one-of-the-sec-greats|title=Allyn McKeen Could Have Been One of the SEC Greats|date=August 6, 2012}}

At the time of his departure from Starkville, McKeen was the winningest coach in Mississippi State history, a rank he would keep until Jackie Sherrill passed him during the 2000 season. McKeen is now third on the school's all-time wins list, behind Sherrill and Dan Mullen.

Late life and honors

After retiring from coaching, McKeen served as the director of the Blue–Gray Football Classic. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.

Head coaching record

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = AP }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = West Tennessee State Teachers

| conf = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association

| startyear = 1937

| endyear = 1938

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1937

| name = West Tennessee State Teachers

| overall = 3–6

| conference = 1–5

| confstanding = T–27th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1938

| name = West Tennessee State Teachers

| overall = 10–0

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = West Tennessee State Teachers

| overall = 13–6

| confrecord = 8–5

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Mississippi State Maroons

| conf = Southeastern Conference

| startyear = 1939

| endyear = 1948

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1939

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 3–2

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1940

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 10–0–1

| conference = 4–0–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| bowlname = Orange

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 9

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1941

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 8–1–1

| conference = 4–0–1

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 16

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1942

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 5–2

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 18

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1943

| name = No team—World War II

| overall =

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1944

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 6–2

| conference = 3–2

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1945

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 6–3

| conference = 2–3

| confstanding = T–7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1946

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 3–2

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1947

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 7–3

| conference = 2–2

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1948

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 4–4–1

| conference = 3–3

| confstanding = 7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Mississippi State

| overall = 65–19–3

| confrecord = 29–16–2

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 78–25–3

| bowls = no

| poll =

| polltype = Rankings from final AP Poll

}}

References

{{Reflist}}