[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16207-16208]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     TRIBUTE TO COACH GLENN DANIEL

 Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Coach Glenn Daniel, a dedicated man and an inspirational leader to the 
many football teams which he has led. The state of Alabama has been 
blessed with a very rich football heritage. The thought of the sport 
conjures images of Bear Bryant leading his famed University of Alabama 
teams to glory on the gridiron. Between interstate colleges and high 
school rivalries, there is no argument that the State's roots are 
firmly entrenched in the game of football.
  It is from these roots that I pay tribute to the most successful 
coach in the history of Alabama high school football, Coach Glenn 
Daniel. With a lifetime record of 302 wins, 167 loses and 16 ties, 
Coach Daniel has stood the test of time and climbed countless obstacles 
in his relentless assault on the record books. Coach Daniel's 50-year 
career, spanning six decades, serves as a inspiration to the young 
people he coaches and as an example of the internal fortitude and a 
strength of character which few possess. He is truly the standard 
bearer for a high school coaching legend and the definition of a man 
dedicated to the sport of football.
  Born on December 2, 1925, in Montgomery, Coach Daniel attended Albert 
G. Parrish High School in rustic Selma, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor's 
Degree in Education at Livingston University (now the University of 
West Alabama) and a Master's Degree from the University of Alabama in 
1956.

[[Page 16208]]

It was in 1947 that Glenn Daniel began his coaching career at the rural 
Alabama school of Pine Hill High. He was able to successfully 
resuscitate a football program which had been discontinued for several 
years due to World War II. Within 5 years of beginning his tenure at 
Pine Hill, he had established a perennial football powerhouse at the 
school. During this time, Coach Daniel lead his team to an undefeated 
season, while outscoring opponents 232-32 and receiving a Birmingham 
News regional championship.
  Following his tenure at Pine Hill, Coach Daniel moved on to coach at 
Luverne High School in Luverne, Alabama. While coaching at the school 
for 38 years, Coach Daniel's teams finished with an astonishing 34 
winning seasons. In 11 of his last 12 years, his team earned a spot in 
the state playoffs, including three semi-finals appearances. His 
remarkable 1991 team reached the ultimate promise land, winning the 
state 3A championship, the first in Luverne High School's history. 
Coach Daniel retired in 1993 and did not coach during the 1993 and 1994 
seasons. However, he returned as an assistant coach for the 1995 season 
as Defensive Coordinator and helped his team earn a state championship 
in 1997.
  Coach Daniel was named Alabama's Coach of the Year in 1981, 1987, and 
1991 by various major newspapers in the state. In a coach's poll 
conducted in 1985, he was ranked by his peers as one of the ten best 
coaches in the state. In addition to these accolades, Coach Daniel 
served as head coach of the Alabama team in the annual Alabama/
Mississippi All-Star Football Classic in 1992, and was named as Alumni 
Coach of the Year in 1992 by the University of West Alabama. In a 
fitting honor to cap his distinguished career, Coach Daniel was chosen 
as a member of the inaugural class of inductees into the Alabama High 
School Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. Mr. President, if a coaching career 
has ever proven deserving of these many distinctions, it is Coach Glenn 
Daniel.

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