Bud Wilkinson

Written by J. Robert Byrom

“We compete, not so much against an opponent, but against ourselves. The real test is this: Did I make my best effort on every play?”

Years: 1947-1963
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, MN
Date of Birth: 4/23/1916
Place of Death: St. Louis, MO
Date of Death: 2/9/1994

Served in the navy during WW II
Won 47 games in a row - more than any other team in history
6 National Championships, 3 as coach at OU, 3 as Player at Minnesota
14 Conference Championships
6-2 in Bowl games
inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969

Charles Burnham Wilkinson, better known as bud, took a mediocre program and turned it into a top program almost immediately, A native of Minnesota, he played with the University of Minnesota, Wilkinson helped lead the Golden Gophers to three consecutive national championships from 1934-36. After his senior season, he led a college all-star team to a 6-0 victory over the defending NFL champion Packers.

It was at the conclusion of WW II, Jim Tatum, then OU Coach, invited wilkinson to join his staff as an assistant. One year later, Tatum left Oklahoma to coach at Maryland, and the Wilkinson was named both Head Coach and Athletic Director.

In his first season of 1947, Wilkinson led Oklahoma to a 7-2-1 record and a share of the conference championship, the first of 13 consecutive Big Six/Seven/Eight conference titles. he did not lose his first conference game until his 12th season as head coach in his 79th conference game. Ultimately, Wilkinson would become one of the most celebrated college coaches of all time. His teams captured national championships in 1950, 1955, and 1956, and amassed a 145-29-4 (82.6%) overall record.

He is best known for coaching the team to a record 47 straight wins and had another streak of 31. His 1955 Team is considered one of the best ever and he is the first college coach ever to have his own TV show.

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl	Coaches^#	AP^°
Oklahoma Sooners (Big Eight Conference) (1947–1963)
1947	Oklahoma	7–2–1	4-0-1	1		—	16
1948	Oklahoma	10–1	5-0	1	W Sugar Bowl	—	5
1949	Oklahoma	11–0	5-0	1	W Sugar Bowl	—	2
1950	Oklahoma	10–1	6-0	1	L Sugar Bowl	1	1
1951	Oklahoma	8–2	6-0	1		11	10
1952	Oklahoma	8–1–1	5-0-1	1		4	4
1953	Oklahoma	9–1–1	6-0	1	W Orange Bowl	5	4
1954	Oklahoma	10–0	6-0	1		3	3
1955	Oklahoma	11–0	6-0	1	W Orange Bowl	1	1
1956	Oklahoma	10–0	6-0	1		1	1
1957	Oklahoma	10–1	6-0	1	W Orange Bowl	4	4
1958	Oklahoma	10–1	7-0	1	W Orange Bowl	5	5
1959	Oklahoma	7–3	6-1	1		15	15
1960	Oklahoma	3–6–1	2-5			—	—
1961	Oklahoma	5–5	4-3			—	—
1962	Oklahoma	8–3	7-0	1		7	8
1963	Oklahoma	8–2	6-1			8	9
Total:		145–29–4
National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title
^#Rankings from final Coaches Poll (started in 1950) of the season. ^°Rankings from final AP Poll of the season.

Wilkinson reitired from the Sooners after the 1963 season, Wilkinson came out of retirement in 1978, taking the reigns of the NFLs St. Louis Cardinals. In two seasons, he posted a 9-20 record and was fired at the end of the 1979 season. On February 9, 1994, he died of congestive heart failure at age 78.

Bud Wilkinson

“We compete, not so much against an opponent, but against ourselves. The real test is this: Did I make my best effort on every play?”

Years: 1947-1963Place of Birth: Minneapolis, MNDate of Birth: 4/23/1916Place of Death: St. Louis, MODate of Death: 2/9/1994

Head coaching record

Other Great Sooner Sites

Years: 1947-1963
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, MN
Date of Birth: 4/23/1916
Place of Death: St. Louis, MO
Date of Death: 2/9/1994