Bob Tyler, longtime football coach throughout Mississippi, dies at 91

Bob Tyler, who’s coaching career spanned across 45 years and included stops at Mississippi State and Ole Miss, died Sunday, a Mississippi State spokesperson confirmed to The Clarion-Ledger. He was 91.

Tyler’s coaching career started in 1957 when he was hired by Water Valley High in his hometown. The first part of his high school coaching career featured stops at Okolona, Corinth, Senatobia and Meridian.

He made the jump to the collegiate ranks when he was hired onto Johnny Vaught’s staff at Ole Miss (1968-70).

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.

In 1973, Tyler became the coach of the Bulldogs. Across six seasons, he had a 21–44–2 record. That’s an adjusted record from his actual 39-25-3 mark. Mississippi State forfeited four wins and a tie in 1975 along with the 1976 and 1977 seasons due to alleged improper benefits to student-athletes − though that decision has long been debated.

The NCAA tried putting the Bulldogs on probation for the 1975 campaign, but MSU sought and won approval from the court − which delivered an adverse opinion to the ruling − to play.

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In 1974, Tyler led Mississippi State to only its second nine-win season ever. It’s a feat that has only been reached 10 times in program history. The Bulldogs ended that campaign with a Sun Bowl victory.

Tyler spent time as Mississippi State’s athletics director (1976–79) before moving to North Texas. He was the football coach in 1981 and served as the school’s AD from 1981-82.

He returned as the coach of Northwest Community College from 1984-85. In 1986 he surfaced as the high school in Oxford before finishing his career at Millsaps College (2000-02).

Tyler was inducted into the Mississippi State Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.