Thad Vann

Thad "Pie" Vann (September 22, 1907 – September 7, 1982) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Southern Mississippi—known as Mississippi Southern College prior to 1962—from 1949 to 1968. During his tenure, he compiled a 139–59–2 record and helped transform Mississippi Southern into one of the nation's elite programs. His only losing season came in 1968, after 19 consecutive winning seasons. His 1953 team went 9–2, including a major upset against Alabama. His 1954 team went 6–4 and upset Alabama once again. He was also the head baseball coach at Mississippi Southern from 1948 to 1949, tallying a mark of 21–21. Van died on September 7, 1982, at Veterans Administration Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, following long illness. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Thad Vann

Biographical details
Born	(1907-09-22)September 22, 1907 Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	September 7, 1982(1982-09-07) (aged 74) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1926–1928	Ole Miss
Position(s)	Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1937–1948	Mississippi Southern (assistant)
1949–1968	Mississippi Southern / Southern Miss
Baseball
1948–1949	Mississippi Southern
Head coaching record
Overall	139–59–2 (football) 21–21 (baseball)
Bowls	0–4
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football NCAA College Division (1958) 2 Gulf States (1950–1951)
Awards
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1971) Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame (1987)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1987 (profile)

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Mississippi Southern Southerners (Gulf States Conference) (1949–1951)
1949	Mississippi Southern	7–3	2–1	2nd
1950	Mississippi Southern	5–5	3–1	1st
1951	Mississippi Southern	6–5	4–0	1st
Mississippi Southern / Southern Miss Southerners (NCAA College Division independent) (1952–1959)
1952	Mississippi Southern	10–2			L Sun
1953	Mississippi Southern	9–2			L Sun
1954	Mississippi Southern	6–4
1955	Mississippi Southern	9–1
1956	Mississippi Southern	7–2–1			L Tangerine
1957	Mississippi Southern	8–3			L Tangerine
1958	Mississippi Southern	9–0
1959	Mississippi Southern	6–4
1960	Mississippi Southern	6–4
1961	Mississippi Southern	8–2
1962	Southern Miss	9–1
Southern Miss Southerners (NCAA University Division independent) (1963–1968)
1963	Southern Miss	5–3–1
1964	Southern Miss	6–3
1965	Southern Miss	7–2
1966	Southern Miss	6–4
1967	Southern Miss	6–3
1968	Southern Miss	4–6
Southern Miss:		139–59–2	9–2
Total:		139–59–2
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

External links

• Thad Vann at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Thad Vann at Find a Grave