Blair Cherry
Few football coaches have been blessed with a winning touch like that of J. Blair Cherry. His Amarillo Sandies won three consecutive state championships from 1934-36. In seven seasons at Amarillo, his teams had an unequalled record of 83-5-1. From 1937-1946 Cherry served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas under D.X. Bible. Cherry took over as head coach in 1947 and during his four seasons compiled a 32-10-1 record and led the Longhorns to three bowl games. Texas defeated Alabama 27-7 in the 1948 Sugar Bowl and Georgia in the 1949 Orange Bowl. Cherry resigned after a 20-14 defeat at the hands of Tennessee in the 1951 Cotton Bowl citing health reasons and the growing expectations from the Texas alumni and fans. Cherry was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1966.
