Tommy Prothro (1985) - Hall of Fame

Tommy Prothro

Induction:
1985

Tommy Prothro made his mark as one of the Bruins' all-time great football coaches. Prothro was the winner of the 1941 Jacobs Award as the best blocker in the East while playing for Duke (1939-1941). He played in the 1942 Rose Bowl Game held in Durham, North Carolina, because of wartime security considerations. He was named coach of the year after the 1965 season, in which his 8-2-1 team beat the number one-ranked Michigan State Spartans in the Rose Bowl. Prothro's UCLA career included a stint as an assistant coach (1949-1954) and a six-year run as head coach (1965-1970). In between, he established Oregon State's football program as one of the best on the Pacific Coast. He led the Beavers to two Rose Bowl appearances and coached Terry Baker to the Heisman Trophy. He also coached seven years in the NFL for the Rams and Chargers.

Prothro, who died at 74 in 1995, was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.