Don Lear
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cordova, Tennessee, U.S.
 Lear in 1955 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 1, 1935 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 2018 (aged 83) Cordova, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1957) Eastern Kentucky University |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1953–1956 | North Carolina |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1957 | North Carolina (assistant) |
| 1958 | Eastern Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1959 | Eastern Kentucky (ends) |
| 1960 (spring) | Eastern Kentucky (assistant backfield) |
| 1960 | Columbia Military Academy (TN) (assistant) |
| 1961–1963 | Middle Tennessee (OB/DB) |
| 1964 | Middle Tennessee (C/ends/LB) |
| 1965–1968 | Middle Tennessee (OB) |
| 1969 (spring) | Southwestern (TN) (line) |
| 1969–1975 | Southwestern (TN) |
| 1976–1987 | Memphis Catholic HS (TN) |
| 1988–1997 | Saint Benedict HS (TN) |
| Wrestling | |
| 1960–1961 | Columbia Military Academy (TN) |
| 1969–? | Southwestern (TN) |
| 1976–? | Memphis Catholic HS (TN) (assistant) |
| Track and field | |
| 1958–1960 | Eastern Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1969–? | Southwestern (TN) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| ?–1988 | Memphis Catholic HS (TN) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 30–23–5 (college football) 132–95 (high school football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 3 CAC (1970–1971, 1973) | |
Don Lear Sr. (March 1, 1935 – December 14, 2018) was an American college football coach. He was the head football coach for Southwestern at Memphis—now known as Rhodes College—from 1969 to 1975, Memphis Catholic High School from 1976 to 1987, and Saint Benedict at Auburndale High School from 1988 to 1997.
Lear was born on March 1, 1935 in Philadelphia. He played high school football for Hatboro High School as a fullback.[1] He also participated in basketball, baseball, and track and field; earning 14 total letters in all four sports combined.[2]
In 1953, Lear enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, beginning his college football career as a fullback for the school's freshmen team.[3] In his sophomore season, he did not start but regularly played in a reserve capacity, even scoring two touchdowns against Wake Forest.[4] He briefly moved to guard during spring practices in 1956,[5] but ultimately remained as a fullback.
Coaching career
Lear began his coaching career as North Carolina upon graduating as an assistant. After one season, he was named as a part-time assistant for Eastern Kentucky while he pursued his master's degree.[6] He also assisted with the school's track and field team.[2] In 1959, he was named as a full-time assistant as the football team's ends coach.[7] He spent the spring of 1960 as an assistant backfield coach for Eastern Kentucky.[2]
Lear spent the 1960 season as an assistant for Columbia Military Academy before becoming the defensive backs coach for Middle Tennessee.[8] He spent the 1964 season as the team's centers, ends, and linebackers coach then transitioned to offensive backs coach in 1965.[9]
In 1969, Lear joined Southwestern at Memphis—now known as Rhodes College—as the school's head wrestling and track and field coach while also assisting with the football team.[10][11] In June 1969, a month after joining the football team, Lear was promoted to head football coach after Jesse Johnson resigned to enter private business.[12][13] Lear was the head football coach for seven seasons and amassed an overall record of 30–23–3 and won conference championships in 1970, 1971, and 1973. He resigned after the 1975 season.
In 1976, Lear was hired as the head football coach for Memphis Catholic High School.[14] In 1988, he moved to Saint Benedict at Auburndale High School. He retired from coaching after the 1997 season having amassed an overall high school coaching record of 132–95.[15]