Top Coach Claiborne Dead at 72

Jerry Claiborne, a former Kentucky player and coach who was elected into college football’s Hall of Fame last month, died of a heart attack Sunday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, family members said. He was 72.

Claiborne, a Hopkinsville native, was one of five former coaches enshrined in the Hall of Fame on Aug. 11. He turned 72 two weeks later, said Jonathan Claiborne, one of four surviving children.

Claiborne had been living in Bowling Green since 1996. He had complained of abdominal pain in recent weeks and visited the Medical Center in Bowling Green last Monday, his son said.

Doctors removed Claiborne’s gall bladder last Wednesday, but found other problems that required more intensive hospitalization, his son said. Claiborne was moved to Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday and underwent more surgery on Friday, his son said.

Claiborne suffered a heart attack about 12:30 a.m. CDT on Sunday and doctors’ efforts to revive him failed, Jonathan Claiborne said.

Claiborne was a blocking back and defensive back for the Wildcats between 1946-1949--when they were coached by Paul “Bear” Bryant. Claiborne worked as an assistant at Kentucky under Bryant in the early 1950s and followed him to Texas A&M;, where he once again worked as Bryant’s assistant, from 1954-56.

After a one-year stint as an assistant at Missouri in 1957, Claiborne returned to work for Bryant as an Alabama assistant from 1958-60. Claiborne was head coach at Virginia Tech (1961-70), Maryland (1972-81) and Kentucky (1982-89).

Claiborne retired in 1989 as the 21st winningest coach in college football history, with a career record of 179-122-8.