Sam Winningham

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1926–2024)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Sam Winningham

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|10|11}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0uYTAAAAYAAJ&q=%22WINNINGHAM,+Sam+Neal,+football+coacb;+b.+Colby.+Kan.,+Oct.+11,+1926;+s.+Neal+and+Alida+(Bogan)+W.;%22|title = Who's who in the West|year = 1969}}

| birth_place = Colby, Kansas, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|4|19|1926|10|11}}

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1948–1949

| player_team1 = Colorado

| player_positions = Quarterback

| coach_years1 = 1950–1952

| coach_team1 = Bent County HS (CO)

| coach_years2 = 1953–1959

| coach_team2 = Phoenix Union HS (AZ)

| coach_years3 = 1962–1968

| coach_team3 = Valley State

| overall_record = 21–42–1 (college)
58–35–3 (high school)

| bowl_record = 0–1

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Sam Neal Winningham (October 11, 1926 – April 19, 2024) was an American football coach and player.

Early life and education

Winningham was born in Colby, Kansas on October 11, 1926, the son of Alida (Bogan) and Neal Winningham. He played college football at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a quarterback.{{cite web|url=https://cubuffs.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9835|title=Sam Winningham|publisher=University of Colorado Athletics|access-date=December 30, 2018}} Winningham earned a master's degree at Arizona State University,{{cite news |author= |title=Arizonan Names VSC Grid Mentor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30092255/the_los_angeles_times/ |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles, California |date=June 9, 1960 |page=128 |access-date=March 30, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} and a Ph.D. in physical education from the University of Southern California.

Career

Winningham was the head football coach at Bent County High School in Las Animas, Colorado from 1950 to 1952 and Phoenix Union High School in Phoenix Arizona from 1953 to 1959, amassing a career high school football coaching record of 58–35–3. He served as the head football coach at San Fernando Valley State College — now known as California State University, Northridge — from 1962 to 1968, compiling a record of 21–42–1.{{cite web|url=https://gomatadors.com/sports/2016/5/24/football-coach-sam-winningham-spirit-plaza.aspx?path=general|title=Football Coach Sam Winningham Spirit Plaza|publisher=Cal State Northridge Matadors|access-date=December 30, 2018}} He went on to become the chair of the physical education department at CSUN.{{cite news |last=Springer |first=Steve |date=November 22, 1987 |title=Class of '67 Is Still CSUN's Dream Team |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-11-22-sp-24029-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=June 3, 2019 }} In November 2017, aged 91, he attended a ceremony at CSUN dedicating a plaza in his honor.[https://gomatadors.com/news/2017/11/19/general-csun-athletics-honors-sam-winningham.aspx CSUN Athletics Unveils Winningham Spirit Plaza]

Personal life and death

His daughter is the actress Mare Winningham.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Cecil |date=May 5, 1980 |title=Mare Does a Lot of Cheering: Actress Mare Winningham |work=Los Angeles Times }} Sam died on April 19, 2024, at the age of 97.{{cite news |title=CSUN Athletics Mourns the Passing of Sam Winningham |url=https://gomatadors.com/news/2024/5/15/general-csun-athletics-mourns-the-passing-of-sam-winningham.aspx |access-date=16 May 2024 |publisher=CSUN Athletics |date=15 May 2024}}