Senate Resolution 129

A RESOLUTION REMEMBERING THE LEGACY OF LEGENDARY MISSISSIPPI FOOTBALL COACH BOB TYLER AND EXTENDING THE SINCEREST SYMPATHY OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE ON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, Bob Tyler, a Water Valley native whose coaching career spanned 45 years and included remarkable success as a Mississippi high school coach and included tenure at Mississippi State and Ole Miss, passed away on April 28, 2024, at age 91; and

WHEREAS, Tyler's coaching career started in 1957 when he was hired by Water Valley High School in his hometown. The first part of his high school coaching career featured stops at Okolona, Corinth, Senatobia and Meridian. After the second season at Meridian, Tyler was named head coach for one of the teams in the annual All-Star Game, which included a phenomenal quarterback named Archie Manning. From there the relationship between Tyler and Archie Manning lasted a lifetime and they grew so close that Tyler named his middle son Drew, after Manning's home town, Drew, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Coach Tyler made the transfer to the collegiate ranks when he was hired onto Johnny Vaught's staff at Ole Miss (1968-1970). Tyler spent the 1971 season working under Bear Bryant at Alabama before arriving at Mississippi State the following year as an Offensive Coordinator under Charles Shira; and

WHEREAS, in 1973, Tyler became the Coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. His official Mississippi State University record, the one with forfeited wins, is not nearly as impressive as the one that matters most. On the field, Tyler was 39-25-3, 14-22-1 SEC, in six seasons as the Bulldogs' Head Coach. On the field, his 1974 team went 9-3 with SEC wins over Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss, a Sun Bowl win over North Carolina and a No. 17 national ranking. On the field, his 1976 team went 9-2, 4-2 in the league and was ranked No. 20 at the finish; and

WHEREAS, Tyler coached for a year at North Texas and helped with player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys. He and his wife lived in Water Valley, where he spent his days as the Director of the Yalobusha County Economic Development District and a consultant to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Tyler spent time as Mississippi State's Athletic Director from 1976-1979 before moving to North Texas. He was the football coach in 1981 and served as the school's Athletic Director from 1981-1982. He returned as the coach of Northwest Community College from 1984-1985. In 1986, he surfaced as the High School Coach in Oxford before finishing his career at Millsaps College from 2000-2002; and

WHEREAS, Coach Tyler was inducted into the Mississippi State Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2022; and

WHEREAS, "I've been blessed in so many ways," Coach Tyler said; however, the State of Mississippi has been blessed through his legacy. We pay tribute and cherish fondly the memory of this most public-spirited citizen of Mississippi who leaves a legacy of football excellence:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby remember the legacy of legendary Mississippi Football Coach Bob Tyler and extending the sincerest sympathy of the Mississippi Senate on his passing and extend to his wife, Dale, and his surviving family our sincerest sympathy on his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Coach Bob Tyler, forwarded to the Athletic Directors of Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.