 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 1907 Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | September 7, 1982 (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) | |
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.[1] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
