Pete Griffin (American football)
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Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 29, 1916 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 1998 (aged 81) Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1937–1939 | Florida A&M |
| Position | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1944–1969 | Florida A&M (assistant) |
| 1970 | Florida A&M |
| 1972–1973 | Florida A&M (assistant) |
| Track and field | |
| 1950s–1960s | Florida A&M |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 5–5 (football) |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
Robert "Pete" 'Griffin (May 29, 1916 – August 8, 1998) was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Florida A&M University (FAMU) for their 1970 season after serving the previous 25 as a defensive assistant coach. He also served as head coach of the track and field team of the Rattlers in the 1950s and 1960s.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Griffin played the center position for the Rattlers from 1937 to 1939.[1] He returned to Florida A&M in 1944, and remained on staff as a defensive assistant coach through their 1969 season. Griffin was promoted to head coach in January 1970 after the retirement of long-time head coach Jake Gaither.[1] Griffin resigned as head coach in February 1971 after a single season where he led the Rattlers to a 5–5 record.[2] He subsequently returned to Florida A&M to serve as a defenseive assistant coach under Jim Williams for their 1972 and 1973 seasons.[3]
Griffin also served as head coach of the track and field squad at Florida A&M and led the Rattlers to seven consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships from 1955 to 1962.[4] His most celebrated track athlete was Bob Hayes who set a world record for the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.1 seconds in 1963 and won a pair of gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics.[4][5][6]
Griffin retired from Florida A&M in 1976 and remained in Tallahassee until his passing on August 8, 1998.[4]