Billy Coleman (2001) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Billy Coleman

Induction:
2001

Over the years Southern Miss has produced several championship teams, but only two have ever won National Championships. When the 1962 Southern Miss team won the UPI College Division National Championship, they had that type of leader at the controls in quarterback Billy Coleman.
   Coleman joined the Golden Eagles have two sensational years as a quarterback and defensive halfback at East Mississippi Junior College in Scooba. While starring for East Mississippi he earned Junior College All-America honors, while proving to be one of the most exciting junior college players in the country.
   The Chickasaw, Alabama native was courted by several major colleges, but elected to come to Southern Miss and play for the legendary Thad (Pie) Vann.
   It was during that first spring practice at Southern Miss that I believe Coleman first showed what he would eventually mean to our football program. Not in what he showed on the practice field, although he proved immediately that he had as much talent as anyone on the team. But on a team that had two veteran quarterbacks like Morris Meador and Don Fuell, Coleman knew his playing time at quarterback would be limited, so he was willing to play wherever he could to help the team.
   That turned out to be defensive back on that 1961 team and focusing these skills and energies at that position became one of the best the team had.
   As a defensive back on the 1961 team that posted an 8-2 record Coleman recorded two interceptions that season and returned of those for a touchdown. The defensive fortitude of that 1961 squad is legendary and it allowed only 68 points in 10 games that season, shutting out three of its opponents and allowing only two teams to score more than one touchdown in a game. Coleman was as good that year at defensive back as anyone of that era, batting away passes, coming up to play the run and being a leader on a veteran defense that quickly accepted him into the fold when they saw what a tremendous competitor he was.
   Coach Vann did find some time to play him at quarterback that season and Eagle fans that watched him play that year, knew they would see something special the following year. He completed 13 of 28 passes that season with for 256 yards and team high two touchdowns.
   With Fuell and Meador gone after the 1961 campaign, Coleman became the starting quarterback on the 1962 National Championship team and his leadership abilities and athletic skills at that position were evident right from the start. The Southern Miss offense was virtually unstoppable that season, scoring 20 or more points in ever game they played except one. Finishing 9-1 that year, the team’s only loss was an 8-6 decision to Memphis State in a game that ended on a controversial play. Very few times if any that year were the Golden Eagles behind and most people credit Coleman’s ability to have his team ready to play from the opening whistle. Coleman completed 46 of 98 passes for 848 yards and nine touchdowns and was also the team’s second leading rusher with 363 yards and five touchdowns