Alvin B. Wyatt (born December 13, 1947) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

player and coach of football and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. He played professionally as a defensive back in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) with the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

and in World Football League (WFL) with the

Jacksonville Sharks The Jacksonville Sharks are a professional indoor football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, playing their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Beginning in 2017, the Sharks began play as charter members of the National Arena Leag ...

. Wyatt served as the head football coach at his alma mater,

Bethune–Cookman University Bethune–Cookman University (BCU or Bethune–Cookman) is a private historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bethune–Cookman University is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The primary administration building, Wh ...

from 1997 to 2009 and

Edward Waters College Edward Waters University is a private Christian historically Black university in Jacksonville, Florida. It was founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) as a school to educate freedmen and their children. ...

from 2013 to 2017, compiling a career college football coaching record of 100–92. He was also the head women's basketball coach at Bethune–Cookman from 1978 to 1996, tallying a mark of 245–201.

Playing career

Wyatt played college football at

and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the

1970 NFL Draft The 1970 National Football League Draft was the 35th National Football League Draft and the first of the league's modern era, following the merger of the National Football League with the American Football League. It was held on January 27–28, ...

. Wyatt spent only one year in Oakland; in 1971 and 1972 he played for the Buffalo Bills (with five interceptions and a touchdown), then moved to the

in 1973. After playing only sparingly (four games) for the Oilers, Wyatt jumped to the

of the World Football League (WFL) in 1974. He quickly emerged as one of the Sharks' best players, returning a punt for a touchdown on national TV against the New York Stars (the first touchdown in Jacksonville pro football history), and leading the team with five interceptions. Unfortunately, the Sharks stopped paying their players, then folded in mid-season; Wyatt then decided to retire as a player.

Coaching

Wyatt was responsible for turning around his alma mater's football program starting in 1997, when he took over as head coach. The program previously suffered 12 consecutive losing seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Wyatt's success was due in part to his colorful and outspoken personality, and his flashy attire as he patrolled the sidelines. But major credit is due to his development and installation of his 'Wyattbone' offense (a version of the

option offense An option offense is an American football offensive system in which a key player (usually the quarterback) has several "options" of how each play will proceed based upon the actions of the defense. Traditionally, option-based offenses rely on ru ...

), which enabled the team to be a potent rushing powerhouse, while their passing offense was efficient. As coach who came from a defensive background, Wyatt's defenses during the 2000s were ranked near the top of the

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National C ...

(MEAC). In 2002, Wyatt lead Bethune–Cookman to its first outright MEAC title, and a share of the conference title in 2003. Under Wyatt, Bethune–Cookman defeated longtime rival

Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the Un ...

in the annual

Florida Classic The Florida Classic is the annual college football rivalry game between Bethune–Cookman University and Florida A&M University. The game has been televised nationally by ESPN Classic as a part of a multi-year contract with the Mid-East ...

in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007, a series which was previously dominated by the

Florida A&M Rattlers The Florida A&M Rattlers represent Florida A&M University (FAMU) in college athletics. Florida A&M is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and participates in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). FAMU offers men's ...

. The Wildcats played in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in 2002 and 2003 under Wyatt, who is the winningest coach in the history of its football program. He compiled a record of 90–54. Wyatt was an inspiration in the lives of many former Wildcat players, including current

players Rashean Mathis (Jacksonville Jaguars), Nick Collins (Green Bay Packers), and

Eric Weems Eric Grimes Weems (born July 4, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver, special teamer, and return specialist. He played college football at Bethune–Cookman and was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 200 ...

(Atlanta Falcons). Mathis and Collins are the highest NFL draft picks to have ever come out of Bethune–Cookman. All three players have been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl. Mathis, Collins, and Weems were All-MEAC selections as well as being nominated to Div 1-AA All-American Teams and SBN Sports Black College All-American (BCAA) teams during their college careers. Other players under Wyatt who played in the NFL are

Damion Cook Damion Lamar Cook (April 16, 1979 – June 26, 2015) was an American football guard. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Bethune–Cookman. Cook was also a member of the Chica ...

(offensive lineman), and

Steve Baggs Stevie Baggs (born December 30, 1981) is an American former professional football player, actor, motivational speaker, and author. He has written two books, ''Greater Than The Game'' and ''Woke''. Football career Baggs played college football at ...

(linebacker) who is in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. On December 10, 2013, Wyatt was named as the 13th head football coach in the history of

Head coaching record

Football

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyatt, Alvin 1947 births Living people American football cornerbacks American football safeties Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football coaches Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football players Bethune–Cookman Wildcats women's basketball coaches Buffalo Bills players Edward Waters Tigers football coaches Houston Oilers players Oakland Raiders players Coaches of American football from Florida Players of American football from Jacksonville, Florida Basketball coaches from Florida African-American coaches of American football African-American players of American football African-American basketball coaches 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American sportspeople